The Knight and the Princes
by Ghost of the Dawn
Summary: Takes place directly after "Warriors Still". A dark part of the armor's history in the mortal realm is discovered. One that refuses to be silenced until it is sealed in blood.
1. Chapter 1: The Forgotten

**The Knight and the Princes**

 **By: Ghost of the Dawn aka Ty-Chou**

 **Chapter One: The Forgotten**

"What do you mean you're in Tokyo?" Mia's voice demanded on the phone.

"Well, apparently, Kayura had the gate put us back in our own time, but forgot that we don't live here," Kento replied.

There was a pause on the line. "I don't know what any of that means."

"We don't live in Tokyo, we live in Toyama."

"I know that. What was that about a gate again?"

Kento sighed. He certainly didn't have the energy to explain. And definitely not in front of the nice ticket master who let him use the train station's phone. "We'll fill you in later. We just need to get back. Would you mind buying us tickets home? We'll pay you back when we can."

"For everyone? All the guys are with you? And Robyn?"

"Yup. We got everyone."

"And White Blaze?"

"He won't need a ticket, but he made it back, too."

Mia chuckled a little, unaware that she had been on the receiving end of the last of Kento's humor. Damn, he was exhausted. Why did he have to be dropped back so far away from home?

"Yes, of course I'll get tickets for you." Mia paused. "Kento, you left my house only about ten minutes ago."

"Say what?" Kento gaped. What did she mean ten minutes? They had been out there in that horrible future for several days! He glanced up at the dates on the station's board and nearly dropped the phone as he suddenly felt lightheaded. "Excuse me, is that today's date?" he asked the ticket master in a weak voice.

The older man, who had been waiting on him politely, glanced up and then nodded in confusion at why Kento suddenly looked so pale.

"Okay, Mia," Kento said, trying to keep himself together. "I'm going to hand the phone to the nice man waiting here so you can buy the tickets and we'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

The next few moments floated by with a detached numbness as Kento watched the ticket master take Mia's credit card information and then print out six tickets to Toyama. When they were handed to him, Kento clutched them tightly as he walked off almost trance-like to find his friends.

* * *

The guys were all gathered in the men's bathroom at the train station, trying to put themselves together and look somewhat presentable for a public train ride back home. Kento had been chosen to get the tickets because he sported the least visible battle damage. He was dirty and roughed up, but his pants and jacket fit well enough into the crowd. He was sporting a log gash on his back which stung like hell, but as long as he kept his back to prying eyes, he could pass as somewhat normal.

As Kento neared the bathroom, he spotted Robyn sitting on a bench, waiting for them. She looked positively homeless sitting there by herself. She was dirty and scared, her knees pulled up to her chest. Kento paused to check on her.

"You okay, Rob?"

She startled when he talked to her, blinking at him. The rising sun behind him illuminated Hardrock's form. Though it had been late afternoon in the future, they arrived in the present-day Tokyo a little past 5AM.

Robyn glanced down before she spoke softly. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"You didn't get hurt or anything?"

Her gaze remained on the ground. "No, I'm fine."

He found her mannerisms to be a bit off. But they had all endured quite a traumatic event. Could Kento really expect any of them to act normal after that?

"Okay, sit tight a little longer. I'm going to check on the guys and we'll be out soon, alright?"

Robyn only nodded and Kento moved on to see how the rest of his team was doing. Rowen was the first he encountered. The taller man just seemed to be wandering around without much to do. Rowen didn't look too bad, but he had been completely out of it since he came through the portal. No one could get more than a word or two out of him and Sage had pestered him three different times to wash up before he finally did something.

"Rowen, can you go sit with Robyn?" Kento asked. When Strata didn't respond right away, Kento touched his shoulder. "Rowen."

"Huh? What?" he asked, thrown out of his thoughts.

"Robyn's outside alone. Go sit with her."

"Uh, yeah." Rowen turned and wandered out.

"And don't go anywhere!" Kento called after him before turning to the others. "What's up with Ro? He get knocked in the head?"

"I don't know." Sage didn't glance up from his work. "He's been out of it since we got back."

"Dais said something to him," Ryo said. "I don't know what happened, I wasn't paying attention. But Rowen looked a little dazed as he was shoved through the portal."

Sage frowned. Something was fishy, but he couldn't worry about that now. They had to appear presentable before the train came. Ryo and Cye looked the worst. Ryo was pale and feverish. As the high of battle wore off, he was also in a great deal of pain.

Cye's arm was disgusting, covered in grime and disintegrating web. They tried to clean it up as best they could, but that just exposed the very deep gash and started it bleeding all over again.

The only lucky part in all of this was that Ryo had been absolutely wrapped in bandages. There was plenty to share so that Cye at least looked like he had already received proper medical attention after he was cleaned up. Sage was now attempting to finish wrapping fresh bandages around Ryo's leaking abdomen. Kento stepped in to finish the job while Sage took care of himself.

The blond swordsman was decorated in cuts and scrapes, but nothing serious. The worst of it was that he was still covered in Cale's crusting blood. He cleaned what he could, but there was really no helping it. Luckily, he was wearing all black because he was going to have to sit in it for several more hours until they got home.

"What about you?" Sage then asked, nodding at the slice up Kento's back.

In response, he took off his jacket, rotated the t-shit so the cut was in the front. Then put his jacket back on and zipped it up. "This will work for now."

Ryo's shirt had been drenched in blood and thrown in the trash. Cye had on a dark tank top under his sleeveless jacket and gave it to Wildfire while apologizing for the stench. They all smelled. They were all dirty and sweaty from battle. They would just have to deal with it.

The PA system announced the train heading out of Tokyo would arrive in two minutes and they all stepped out of the bathroom, as presentable as they were going to get.

Rowen was found at the bench where Robyn had been waiting, but both sat like strangers. Rowen hunched in the middle as if he meant to sit next to her, but Robyn was curled up, perched on the far side while blue-haired young man stared off into space.

Robyn only stopped hugging herself when she noticed Ryo approach. Quickly she stood and moved over to him. "Are you okay? You're not looking very good." She felt his sweaty forehead. "You're burning up."

He let her take his arm and he patted her hand. "I'll be okay. We just have to get on the train and get home, and everything will be fine."

As he spoke, their very train pulled up. Kento showed their tickets to the attendant as everyone filed in. The trains that took people across the different prefectures were a lot nicer and not as crowded as the intercity trains that took people to and from work. The group was able to find a section of padded benches where they could all sit together and they prepared themselves for the long haul. Toyama would be five hours away.

Once the train began to move again, Kento dropped on them the new information he had gathered at the ticket booth. "Guys. I just found out what day it is. I think we've been gone for... maybe three days."

Everyone stared at him.

"You're joking," Cye accused.

"I am not. We are pretty much right back where we started before all this craziness happened."

There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief from the group. Between Falnan and all the time travel, the ronin had been away from home for several weeks, if not months. They had long since accepted that both jobs and school would be a wash by the time they ever made it back. Maybe they could recover their lives after all.

Curious from the conversation, Robyn surreptitiously glanced at the man behind her who was reading a newspaper. Her stomach dropped when she saw the year. It was about 300 years off. How could that be? Where was she? Where had these strange men taken her?

Ryo looked to the girl at his side when he noticed she was beginning to hyperventilate. "Robyn, what's wrong?"

"This isn't right. I don't belong here." Her voice came out in breathy pants. "I'm in the wrong time. How—how did I?"

Ryo touched her hand and looked her in the face. "You are where you're supposed to be. I promise you. And you're safe with us. Give it some time and we'll find something familiar for you."

"Something familiar?" Cye asked. "What's going on?"

Ryo shook his head. "She doesn't remember anything. She doesn't remember any of us. That's why we couldn't find her. That's why White Blaze kept her safe."

They all stared at her now and Robyn wished she could disappear. Cye, who sat on the other side of her, leaned in far too close for her comfort, completely disbelieving what he just heard.

"You honestly can't-"

Ryo subtly raised a hand in warning and Cye stopped himself, realizing how uncomfortable Robyn looked. He pulled back and suddenly looked so very tired. "I see. Well that's just something else we'll work on when we get home then."

Robyn slumped in her chair and watched her hands for a very long time.

The conversation died after that. Everyone was exhausted from the battle and soon heads began to droop and rest against each other. Within the first hour, all five warriors had dozed off. The battle, the use of the armors and their wounds had taken everything they had.

Only Robyn sat there, wide awake. She didn't dare go to sleep. She wanted to believe everything Ryo said. She wanted to believe that these men were her friends, that they would take her where she belonged. But a fear was slowly boiling in her and she was very afraid she had blindly followed these complete strangers off a cliff so steep she would never return.

What was she doing with them anyway? Even Ryo was a stranger to her. She had known him maybe 24 hours. What had possessed her to follow him so willingly? Sure, she thought he was cute and he seemed to need her help. But then she witnessed utter chaos. Monsters and destruction so indescribable, she didn't know how any of them could sleep. And she saw the power of these men as well, of their strange friends that were oddly left behind. Again, she berated herself for following them like an idiot. What if this had all been a big mistake? What if, because she went with these people, she never found where she truly belonged?

These thoughts kept Robyn wide awake as the train chugged along while the sun slowly rose overhead.

* * *

It was late morning when the train finally arrived in the Toyama prefecture. Mia was waiting at the station for them. She had rented a van. It was the only way she hoped to get all six of her passengers home at once. Even Natalia would be able to join them.

Mia's heart quickened when she saw her boys emerge from the train. They looked so tired. She could tell right away Ryo was not well. He was visibly clammy, his skin not nearly the right color. She couldn't wait to get them home where she could feed and care for them.

Hearty hugs were received all around. The warriors were so glad to see her and they had missed her. Natalia stayed by the van, feeling very out of place with these people. Then she saw Robyn and Robyn saw her and they locked eyes instantly.

"Nat!" Robyn cried, startling the others. She ran over to her blonde roommate and hugged her.

Natalia was a bit surprised at such a warm greeting, but hugged her back. Hugging Robyn's shoulders was like hugging coat hangers wrapped in flesh.

"Robyn, you're so thin. What happened to you?"

Robyn pulled back, her eyes a little wet. "I don't know."

From a few yards away, Rowen frowned at the two girls. "Oh sure, she remembers the blonde, but none of us?" Since he had awoke from his nap, he had been acting more like his normal self.

Mia quickly ushered them all to the van. Sage helped Ryo climb into the passenger seat. Wildfire's whole body was drenched in sweat and he wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings. The rest climbed in the back. Natalia sat next to Robyn and the redhead wanted to cry with relief. Finally, someone familiar. She was in the right place. Everything had to be okay now, it had to.

* * *

Ryo was instantly put to bed when they reached Mia's house. Sage followed him up, a first aid kit under his arm. Halo was determined to mother-hen him until his condition was more stable. Mia remained downstairs with Kento and Cye, using a second medical kit to check them out. With the type of friends she had, she kept plenty around the house.

"Cye, this is really bad," she said when she removed the bandage on Torrent's arm. "We should probably take you to the hospital."

Cye glanced at the grotesque gash. It looked very painful, but he didn't let it show. "Ryo's the one that really needs a doctor."

"Except he got shot and there's no way we can take him to a hospital without dealing with a whole bunch of questions we can't answer," Kento said.

"I can deal with this, too," Cye insisted. "Sew it up as best you can, my armor should be able to handle the rest. If Ryo's not going, I'm not going."

Mia nodded, trying to steel herself as she attempted to clean the wound. She had taken a few first aid classes and she knew how to stitch up flesh, but she never developed the stomach for it and certainly wasn't looking forward to putting Torrent back together.

Pouring antiseptic on the wound made Cye hiss in pain and sweat began to bead his brow. Mia had a wine glass next to her and she took a large gulp before pulling out the needle and surgical thread.

"Is Sage okay?" she then asked. "Am I mistaken or did he have blood on his clothes?"

Cye and Kento looked at one another.

"He says the blood's not his. I think... I think he saw Cale die," Kento said softly.

"Cale? The Warlord?" Mia gaped.

"All the warlords were there. It was nuts, Mia. Friggin' nuts."

* * *

From the kitchen, Robyn sat silently at the table. Natalia was at the stove, heating up canned soup for everyone. It was the fastest way to get some warm food in their stomachs.

Rowen sat at the kitchen table as well, across from Robyn. He bounced his knee in agitation, tapping on the table as he stared at her. He couldn't help but be annoyed at Robyn for not remembering them. He knew it probably wasn't her fault. He knew something happened to her while they had left her all alone, but he still couldn't help it. It wasn't just the amnesia, something else bothered him. It niggled at some forgotten irritation at the back of his mind and every time he looked at her face, it just made him more irritated.

"Hey, hey you," Natalia said to him.

Strata visibly sighed. "My name is Rowen."

"Whoever you are, stop staring at her like that. What are you trying to do to her?"

Rowen glanced at Robyn who had been shrinking in her seat, staring at the table top under his sharp gaze. Rowen turned his attention to the wall for a while, but it slowly rotated back to Robyn and he frowned again.

"I said stop it!" Natalia accused again. "Mia!"

"Whatever you're doing, Rowen, cut it out," came Mia's voice from the dining room.

"I'm not doing anything!"

"Rowen."

Strata huffed and jerked up from the table with a noisy slide of his chair. "Fine." With hands stuffed in his pockets, he skulked to the dining room and took a seat across the table from the others.

"Someone needs a nap," Kento said.

"We all need naps," Cye added. "As soon as we get some food."

"Hey, isn't that my line?" Kento teased.

Even as he spoke, Natalia came in with steaming bowls of beef stew and placed them before Cye and Kento. The third was plopped in front of Rowen with a salty glare before she walked back out. All three warriors were instantly trying to devour the hot food as fast as they could.

With her work finished, Mia stood to retrieve two more bowls and take them up to Sage and Ryo. She found the latter laying feverishly in one of the bedrooms, topless and skin damp with sweat. Sage hovered over him, inspecting the curious evidence that someone with clear medical training had already sewed Ryo up once. Most likely, that person had not been Robyn. Halo would have to be patient for a day or two to get the full story of what Wildfire had been doing during his absence.

Mia placed both bowls on the nightstand and went to fetch some wet cloths to help battle Ryo's fever. When she came back, she found Sage attempting to attach a large square bandage to Wildfire's side with medical tape.

"What happened?" Mia asked as she sat at the edge of the bed, wiping Ryo's face with the cool cloth. Wildfire's hooded, exhausted eyes swiveled in her direction, but he seemed out of it.

"He was shot," Sage said, eyes focused on his work.

Mia stared at him. "Shot? With a gun?"

"Yeah, maybe less than two days ago. I think Wildfire's been fighting to keep him together, but now that the danger's gone, the armor's gone dormant."

Mia didn't know what to do with that information. Two days? They had only been away for a matter of hours. And what was this about Wildfire's power? Weren't the armors gone now? Answers to these questions would have to wait. Right now she just needed her boys to be okay. When they were all well and stable, then she would bombard them with more questions.

She tried to dry the sheen of sweat covering Ryo's body enough that Sage could attach the bandage. Between the two of them, they managed to dress the wound enough that both were satisfied it would hold for at least the next few hours. Mia then shoved a bowl in Sage's hands before he could find something else to do and Halo obediently ate.

Next order of business was to get some food into Ryo, but he was already asleep. Though he breathed deep and even, no amount of saying his name caused him to respond.

"Leave the soup here for now," Sage said. "I'm going to stay with him for a while. If he wakes up, I'll make sure he eats it."

Mia nodded. With nothing else to do, she left to see about everyone else back downstairs. She returned to the kitchen. Passing Robyn and Natalia sitting across from each other at the small table, she found the pot on the stove empty and she immediately set about looking through the cupboards and fridge for something else to make. She knew her boys. After a big fight, they would all be eating every few hours until they got their strength back.

"Robyn," Natalia's voice chastised behind her, "you need to eat something."

Mia glanced behind her to see the redhead halfheartedly stir her soup. "I'm not really hungry."

"Robyn. Eat. You look like you haven't had a good meal in a week."

The redhead continued to merely look at the cold food, making no attempt to consume it.

"Would you eat something else if I made it?" Mia offered.

Robyn's shoulders hunched timidly as she attempted to make herself smaller in the chair. Her voice was soft as she spoke. "No thank you. I'm not hungry."

It was then that the reinforcements entered. Kento and Cye approached the table, sitting themselves on either side of her while Rowen leaned against the door frame. He made no attempt to come closer.

Natalia tried her final tactic. "Robyn, Mia worked to make this food for you. You need to eat it or you're being rude."

They both knew it was just canned soup heated in a pot, but it was enough to get Robyn to respond. She put a lukewarm bite in her mouth and slowly chewed. It was clear on her face she tasted nothing. Mia placed a mug of hot tea next to her and Robyn drank that as well under Natalia's watchful eye.

Cye frowned as he watched the redhead. He knew Robyn didn't care much for tea, but he wasn't going to object to her putting any sustenance in that thin body. He just wished she would talk to them, or at least look their way instead of shrinking away when any one of them approached her.

On the other side of her, Kento reached out and touched the side of her face with his knuckles. She instantly jumped back, wide eyed at the contact.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just trying to make sure you're okay," he insisted. "You don't say anything to us."

"I'm okay." Robyn glanced at Natalia. "Do you... know these guys?"

The blonde shrugged. "Kind of. I've gotten to know Kento pretty well in Falnan. And I know this one is Cye." She glanced over at Rowen, but she was still irritated with him. "But they're really your friends, Rob, not mine."

Robyn blinked at her roommate and then looked again at the three young men in the room. She didn't know their faces, didn't feel anything for them. Overwhelmed, she rubbed her face with her hands, wishing she could just sit in a small, dark room alone. Just sit by herself and not look at anyone; especially not all these faces she didn't know.

Arms wrapped around her shoulders. Someone's cheek pressed against her head.

"It's okay," Rowen said softly into her ear. "You're safe here and you don't have to push yourself. Are you finished eating?"

Robyn nodded her head. It did not escape Rowen that she leaned into him a little. He took her hand, gently guiding her to her feet.

"Come on."

Cye gave them a skeptical eye, but didn't say anything as Rowen lead her her out. Her fingers remained in his hand as Strata took her upstairs and guided her to the bathroom. He paused before a closet to fetch a towel and put it in her hands.

"Here, take a shower. You'll feel better afterward."

"I don't have any other clothes," she reminded.

"It's fine. I'll have Mia find you some clothes by the time you're done. Enjoy some hot water. I have a feeling you haven't seen it in a while."

He was rewarded with a small, but grateful smile.

"Hopefully soon you'll remember that though I'm a jerk sometimes, I'm still a nice guy."

Robyn nodded slightly, then closed the bathroom door. He heard her locking it from the inside as he turned and walked back down the stairs. Upon returning to the kitchen, he found Cye and Kento clearly attempting to explain to Mia in part of what they had been up to.

"So, you don't have the armor, but you still have the power of the armors... in some way?" the brunette was saying.

"Yeah, like that," Kento replied. He nodded in Rowen's direction when he entered. "Rowen can show you."

Strata looked around. "I've never done it inside, but it should still work, I suppose." With a wave of his hand, a breeze whipped briefly through the kitchen. It rattled papers on the fridge and the calendar on the wall before settling.

Natalia was still at the table, a bit stunned by the display. Mia was already on her feet, approaching Rowen. She immediately took the hand he had gestured with, inspecting it as if she would find some evidence of his power. He looked exactly the same; not even a trace of subarmor on him.

"So, this is how you fought," she assumed.

"It's been a challenge to get used to it," Strata admitted. "Also, Robyn's in the shower and she would probably love some clean clothes when she gets out, if you have any to spare."

"Oh, yes! I'll find her some clothes right now. But I expect to hear more when I get back," Mia informed them and hurried off to her room.

Natalia waited for the other woman to leave before landing an accusing glare on the three warriors. "Seriously, what happened to Robyn out there? Why does she look this bad? She looks so nervous and depressed. Why doesn't she remember any of you? What did you guys do to her?"

"We didn't do anything-" Kento started to say.

"We left her alone," Rowen spoke as Hardrock finished the last word. "She was separated from us in a very scary place for a very long time. And we couldn't find her. That's not an excuse, it's just what happened."

"We didn't look hard enough," Cye added with self-loathing in his tone. He clenched his fists on the table. "It's our fault."

"Then I hope you'll be eager to help fix this," Natalia said. "We need to get home. Robyn and I can't stay in Japan. We've suddenly disappeared from our lives and it's been days now. We need to get back there as soon as possible. I think that will be better for Robyn, whether she remembers you guys or not. Right?"

Rowen visibly clenched his jaw at her, but said nothing. Clearly, he was not happy with that. Kento had a similar frown on his face.

"Whatever she needs," Cye said quietly, "we'll do it."

The other two slumped slightly in defeat. Cye would always hold Robyn's welfare far above his own. Even when what was best for her was the completely opposite of what he wanted. They couldn't argue with him.

* * *

Robyn stayed in the shower as long as she dared. She didn't want to be selfish or rude and take all the hot water, but she wasn't looking forward to going out there again. In here, she could pretend the shower was her whole universe. These four walls and the hot water were all she had to know, all she had to worry about. Why couldn't the rest of her life just be these four walls, keeping her warm, washing off all the grime and the fear?

Unfortunately, it couldn't last. Eventually she brought her shower to an end and peered out the bathroom door, towel wrapped around herself. She found a pile of clothes waiting outside. Robyn took her time dressing in the bathroom; again, not wanting to leave the sanctity of the tiny room. She even sat on the toilet lid for a while after she was dressed. Everything out there was so confusing and unfamiliar. She just wanted to be home again.

Eventually, she dragged herself out, shuffling toward the stairs. Sage suddenly appeared out of the closest bedroom in front of her, two bowls in his hands. One was empty, the other full. Robyn froze. In the back of her brain she hoped he wouldn't notice her. He did, of course, and paused to silently look at her.

"Um... how's Ryo?" she asked to break the silence.

"He does not feel well right now, but he will recover." Sage nodded to the stairs, signaling for her to go ahead of him.

Robyn had no choice but to comply. She felt uncomfortable every step on the way down with the warrior at her back. They ended up back at the kitchen where Robyn quickly pressed her back against the nearest wall so Sage was no longer behind her. The blond merely continued on and placed the bowls in the sink.

Natalia was the only other person in the kitchen at the time. She had been on the phone and hung up as they walked in. "Good news, Robyn. I managed to get a hold of my boyfriend. He is hella confused about most of what I said, but I think he was too happy to hear we were alive to argue. He's going down to the apartment to try to find our passports and fax us a copy. Mia said if we tell the airport ours were stolen, the copies should get us back to the US."

"We're going back home?" Robyn blurted out, relief painted all over her tone.

"Yes! As soon as possible!"

Robyn covered her mouth with her hands as she let out a sound between a laugh and a sob. Home. Finally, some place she remembered. That was where she belonged, where she felt safe. Her knees went weak in relief, the wall helping to hold her up.

Sage frowned at her response, but made no effort to converse further with her.

Natalia walked to the redhead, embracing her. "Honey, it's going to be okay. Let's go find Mia. She's in her office looking up plane tickets. We might even be able to catch a flight tomorrow."

Robyn nodded and allowed the other woman to lead her off to the different part of the house. Sage silently watched them go and then stalked off to find other members of his team. Kento, Cye and Rowen were all plopped in the living room. The TV was on, but it was clear none of them were really watching it. They were all too preoccupied and exhausted. Kento and Rowen were mostly just staring off into space while Cye was half asleep.

"Are you guys aware those girls might be leaving as early as tomorrow?" Halo asked.

Cye didn't open his eyes, but he sighed heavily.

"Yeah," Kento confirmed, chin resting in his palms. "Robyn's roommate is eager to get her home. She thinks it will be for the best."

"Will it?" Sage asked.

Kento shrugged. Rowen made a disgruntled sound and shifted on the couch.

"Is there really anything else we can do about it?" Cye said tiredly. "It's not our decision and it just might be what's best for Robyn, to get her as far away from us as she can. We haven't brought her anything but problems and pain since we showed up in her life again."

Back when they had flown to Oregon. Back when they found her at a soccer game, sat on the couch in her apartment, let her cat walk over their laps. It felt like a whole other lifetime ago when the rest of the world had only experienced three days' time.

"It just doesn't seem right when she can't make that decision for herself," Rowen muttered.

"Yeah, but maybe when she gets home and feels comfortable it will all come back," Kento said softly. "I'm sure we're still in there somewhere. We give it some time and she'll remember everything. She'll be e-mailing us before we know it and we'll all get on video chat to talk about how scary and crazy all this was and everything will work itself out. Maybe we'll even see her in person again sometime soon."

"I just hope she'll be okay," Cye whispered.

Kento patted him on the shoulder. "Me, too, buddy. Me, too."

* * *

Robyn stayed glued to the other girls for the rest of the day. Mia helped them purchase plane tickets leaving early the next morning. They would need to be up by at least 5 AM to make that flight.

The day dragged slowly for everyone. Their internal clocks were no longer in sync with the current timezone. The ronin had left the future late in the afternoon only to appear in the present early in the morning. It was a rough task of itself to make it through the day. Naps were attempted, but they were not restful. It happened very slowly, but an air of restlessness was settling over the house and it kept the warriors in a constant state of slight agitation as the minutes ticked slowly by.

Any time any of them caught a glance of Robyn, it only made it worse. She looked as unsettled as they felt. It hurt that they could no longer talk to her like they used to, that they couldn't treat her like a friend. Robyn was only a stranger now and it was a harsh reality to handle.

When dinner time finally came around, they all sat down at the long dining room table. Everyone except Ryo, who was still dead to the world. Again, Robyn ate very little as the guys wolfed down their food as if they hadn't seen a meal all day. Many attempts were made at casual conversation. If anything was address to Robyn, she would plaster a weak but fake smile on her face, give the briefest answer she could, then go back to staring at her plate. It seemed nothing at this house was going to help her. She really did need to get away from all of this and be at home.

Bedtime was more than welcome when it came around. It was hardly 9PM before everyone shuffled toward bedrooms, nearly dead on their feet. The only bedrooms on the ground floor were Mia's and a small guest room, which Robyn took. She immediately shut the door on anyone else so she could be alone in her little four-walled fortress.

Sage slept upstairs, taking the second bed in Ryo's room to keep an eye on his condition. Cye and Kento took the two beds in the next bedroom. Natalia slept in the room at the end of the hall. Rowen slept on the couch, mostly because that's where he had drifted off while watching TV. Even Mia was in bed by 10:30 and for a few hours, the mansion was dark and quiet.

Then the screaming began.

* * *

Rowen sat up from the couch in the darkness. A feeling of anxiousness washed over him as if something was wrong, but it was the dead of night. Everyone was safe in bed and asleep. His ears picked up a brief sound of distress coming from the small guest room nearby. Was that what had awakened him? Normally, Rowen could sleep through an earthquake.

The house went silent for a few moments, then he heard it again. It was soft and muffled, but definitely sounded like the person making it was in some sort of trouble. Robyn. He knew she would not be happy to see him, but he got up and silently padded toward the closed door.

Suddenly, a sharp, terrified scream came from the bedroom. The sound raised the hair on Rowen's neck as he surged forward. Robyn's voice pierced through the whole house as he grabbed the doorknob. It didn't turn. He was locked out.

"Robyn? Robyn!"

Several footfalls from above told that the other guys had heard her distress. They raced down the stairs as Rowen threw his shoulder into the door. Once, twice. On the third try, he busted through the lock and threw the door open as he felt Kento, Cye, and Sage rush up behind him.

Rowen palmed the wall for a light in the pitch blackness. He flipped it on just in time to see Robyn flopping off the bed, tangled in a blanket. The warriors had all been too preoccupied with getting in the room to notice the screams had already stopped. Robyn scooted back against the wall, sitting on the floor with the covers.

"Robyn, are you okay?" Rowen asked, eyes still wide and wild.

She glanced around at the strangers looming in the doorway, clutching the blanket tightly as if it would protect her from them. "I'm sorry, I just... I had a bad dream."

The four warriors were still trying to process that there were no enemies to fight, even though their hearts still raced from the scare. Robyn still looked like she felt like she was danger. A few of them moved further into the room to assess the situation and Robyn surprisingly pulled the blanket over her head at their advance.

The ronin all paused in confusion.

"I'm sorry," Robyn's small voice came from under the covers. "I didn't mean to be loud. Please, just go back. I'll be okay."

The warriors looked at each other. They didn't believe a word of that. Cye stepped forward, crouching down to extend a hand to her covered form.

"I said I'm fine!" her voice shot out, trembling with a high pitch of fear, before he could touch her. She must have been able to see the shadows of their bodies through the blanket. "Please, just go. I'm fine. Please go away. Please go. Please go."

She kept repeating the last two words in a whisper, as if she were trying to pray away a haunting spirit.

The four looked at each other again, feeling helpless. There was nothing they could do to improve this situation. Robyn was scared of them for some reason. She didn't want them in her room; didn't feel safe with them around.

Something heavy butted past their hips as White Blaze bodily made his way through them and into the room. He glanced back at the group, giving them a confident look before turning to the girl under the blanket. The massive beast crawled on his stomach toward her, nosing his head beneath the blanket. As soon as Robyn saw who it was, she hugged the tiger around the neck, making a sound akin to a sob. There she remained, completely covered with the tiger half under the blanket with her.

There was nothing else the ronin could do for her, no matter how much they wanted to. They had no choice but to leave and regretfully shut the door behind them. The four silently shuffled back to their respective sleeping spaces feeling defeated. Any previous arguments they had about Robyn leaving so soon no longer felt valid. Being here with them was not good for her. They would not speak a word against her going back to the US.

* * *

The next morning came far too early for anyone's comfort. Mia made sure the girls were up by 5AM so they would have enough time to get something to eat and still catch their flight. She weighed her options about letting the guys sleep. They needed their rest, but maybe they also wanted to see Robyn off, even if she wanted nothing to do with them.

The decision was made for her when the guys began stirring on their own. After such a frantic wake-up call in the middle of the night, they were all hypersensitive to any sound in the house.

All three women were in the kitchen eating toast and fruit when Kento, Cye and Rowen came in. There was warm oatmeal on the stove, the smell of cinnamon in the air. Robyn looked very intently at her food, of which she had only taken a few bites, as the guys joined them at the table.

The redhead was a hard sight to look at. She was gaunt and pale, dark bags under her eyes from lack of sleep and nutrition. She looked exhausted and heart-sick. It took all Robyn's energy to even look that normal; to not tremble to the point of shaking in the presence of these strange men. It was only that night when she could remember she had seen their faces before: in her nightmares.

Night after night, Robyn was haunted by the same imagery. So much death. Battlefields of bloody bodies. Demon hoards, fantastic beasts and humans all killing each other...

 _She is killing, too, with massive blades and inhuman strength. With an anger and bloodlust that isn't her own. All the time, she is in pain, bleeding at her side from a wound that won't heal. There is also a great, dark figure, full of evil. It laughs with an almost human face that is twisted with glee and sharp fangs. Black blades shoot out from it, stabbing her over and over again. Blood is everywhere. There is so much pain. And their faces are there. These strange men who claim they're her friends. They are there, too, in this horrible place. And they are watching as she dies._

 _Robyn always wakes up screaming, grabbing herself, trying to stop the blood. Trying to hold her broken body together. She checks her clothes, never finding any blood in the waking world, finding herself well and whole. That should be enough to calm her. Realizing it's just a dream should mean she can easily get over it. But if it was just a dream, why is she covered with so many deep scars? Scars in all the same places she bled in her dream._

"Robyn."

She was so startled by the sound of her name, she dropped her spoon. Oatmeal flicked on the table as the utensil clattered on the floor. Robyn moved to retrieve it but Cye was faster, picking it up and handing her a new one before retrieving a cloth to clean the mess.

"Robyn," Mia said again. "The taxi should be here in about five minutes. Make sure you're ready."

The redhead blinked at her and then nodded.

Natalia stood and rubbed her back to comfort her. "We'll be out of here soon."

Robyn sighed a little. It felt good to hear those words. She couldn't wait to get out of this house and away from these people. After the previous night, she couldn't stand looking at their faces anymore.

Natalia left her as Mia called her over. The brunette produced some cash and put it in the blonde's hands. Natalia thanked her wholeheartedly and even hugged Mia for all her help.

Sage walked in then, announcing Ryo was awake, but in pain and in no position to get out of bed. He spooned a bowl of oatmeal with the intent of making sure Wildfire ate every bit of it.

Robyn just stared at the table as she shivered in the early morning chill. She still wore the thin summer blouse Mia had given her the day before. Next to her, Kento unzipped the dark blue hoodie he wore and handed it to her. She stared at him with wide eyes.

"Take it," he ordered. "I know you're going to be cold all the way home. Just take it."

Very slowly, with trembling, pale fingers, Robyn reached for it. She touched the soft material for several moments, leading Kento to believe she wasn't ever going to put it on. But eventually she did shrug it over her thin shoulders. The much bigger sweater nearly swallowed her. Yet, her face softened slightly at being warmer.

Kento couldn't help but smile a little when she shyly pulled the collar up to her nose and smelled it. It was a very Robyn thing to do. She always smelled everything of Cye's she put on. Or anything else of theirs she managed to swipe. At first, it seemed she did it just to test how clean it was. Then it became apparent she liked it because their clothes smelled like them. Maybe the smell of his hoodie would trigger something in her memory. At the very least, Kento warmed to see that she seemed a bit more comfortable to be wearing it.

* * *

Ryo's gaze moved from the window to the doorway as Sage stepped in. He tried to sit up, but pain shot through his abdomen. Ryo didn't recall the pain being this bad the first time around. Was that Wildfire's doing? Had the armor's power helped reduce the pain while there was evil still to be defeated? If so, it should have been a welcomed sign to know there was no long any danger about. Ryo, however, didn't feel all that grateful.

"If you didn't move so much it wouldn't hurt so bad," Sage counseled.

"It would hurt less if you gave me those pain killers," Ryo informed him.

Robyn's friend Cindi had sent him off with a bottle full of prescription meds when he left that hospital. Of which Sage promptly confiscated the moment he knew they existed. At the moment, Halo was holding them in his hand.

"You'll get these when you eat all of this." He placed the bowl of oatmeal in Ryo's lap. "I'm not giving you medication on an empty stomach."

Despite the pain, Ryo was happy to have warm sustenance and made no arguments as he ate.

"Robyn's leaving in a few minutes," Sage spoke. "They're taking her to the airport. She's going home."

Ryo paused with the spoon still in his mouth, brows raised. He chewed and swallowed. "It's going to be like that, is it?"

"I'm afraid so. She wants to go home. I think that's the best place for her right now."

Sighing, Wildfire gazed out the window. He had heard the screams in the night, too. They had awoken him from his fevered dreams where he was still fighting demons and Talpa's evil. He knew about nightmares. He could only imagine how much more difficult it was to face them when surrounded by complete strangers.

"I promised I would get her home," he said softly, though his chest ached with regret. "I'm glad we're keeping that promise."

* * *

Robyn was more than eager to get out of there when the taxi pulled up. She was quick to climb inside the back seat even as Natalia said her good-byes.

"Well, it was weird, all of you," the blonde said, looking at Cye, Kento and Rowen. They were the only three warriors who had followed to the front porch to see them off. "I don't know if I can say it was good to get to know you guys, but I'll definitely never be the same again."

She smiled at Kento, who shrugged and then extended his arms to her. They embraced.

"Take care of yourself," he told her.

"You guys, too. You bunch of weirdos," she laughed back. Glancing at the taxi she added, "I'll take care of Robyn, too. Whatever she needs. I'll be in touch with Mia to let you know how she's doing."

"Thank you," Cye told her.

Natalia and Mia hugged next and the former thanked her for all her help.

Meanwhile, Cye made his way over to the side of the taxi where Robyn sat. Rowen and Kento questioned the wisdom of his actions as he opened the door. Robyn blinked at him, stiff and wary at his presence. Cye crouched on the ground, making himself lower and less threatening.

"I'm sorry you had such a hard time," he said gently. "I'm sorry we couldn't save you from whatever it is you've been through. We should have. We should have worked harder to protect you. We failed you and I'm sorry for that, too. Maybe one day you can forgive us and remember that we are your friends. If you ever need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask. We will do anything we can for you."

Robyn looked self-consciously at her hands. Cye watched as she swallowed, and then slowly nodded. That was probably the best he could hope to get from her. He stood, holding the taxi door.

"Be safe. No matter what happens, I love you."

Robyn's head snapped up, staring at him wide-eyed, but Cye had already closed the door on her. Something niggled at the back of her darkened recollection. A car door shutting in her face. Large, sad green eyes on the other side of the glass. In the memory, it was dusk, police lights flashing overhead.

Natalia hopped into the backseat next to her from the other side and closed the door. "Hold on, honey. We'll be home before you know it."

Robyn wasn't listening. She was desperately clinging to the tiny tendrils of deja vu that threatened to slip from the fingers of her recollection. She was so young back then, when they took her away. When her mother and father were taken in a separate car to keep them away from her. When she was removed from her home, never to return. The house she grew up in, she didn't care about. It was the boy next door she did not want to leave.

She remembered him standing on the sidewalk, his mother's hands on his shoulders. He looked like he ached to run to her and she desperately wanted to stay. But it was not to be. She was trapped in the car as it took her away; so very far away from him.

The taxi rumbled out of the gravel driveway. Robyn watched out the back window as they drove away, her heart pounding. The group of young men remained on the porch as she was pulled further and further away from them. No. No, this wasn't right.

Natalia thought Robyn said something. "What?"

"Cye..." she said softly. Then louder as she slapped her palm on the window. "Cye. CYE!" Robyn suddenly came to life, nearly frantic as she grabbed the door handle. The doors automatically locked when the taxi went into drive. She was trapped.

"Stop the car!" Robyn yelled frantically in English. Then again in Japanese as her voice hitched with desperation. "STOP THE CAR!"

* * *

The four who remained on the porch watched the taxi as it left. They were beginning to turn to go back inside when the car's tires screeched to a halt, catching their attention. They watched in confusion as the two passengers climbed out of their side of the cab, arguing loudly with each other. They were still too far away for anyone on the porch to discern the conversation.

Robyn, however, quickly turned away, not caring what Natalia had to say. She broke into a jog, headed back for the house.

"Cye! Cye!"

Torrent breathed in at the sound of his name and took off running. His long legs ate up the distance between them at twice the speed as he nearly collided with Robyn. She jumped for his arms and he held her tight, picking her off her feet and sweeping her in a circle.

"Cye!" Robyn was laughing and crying at the same time as she hugged him and buried her face in his neck. "I'm sorry! How did I ever forget?"

His embrace remained strong. "It's okay. I've got you. It's all going to be okay."

At this point, Kento and Rowen caught up with them just in time to hear Robyn say, "Please don't make me go. Can I stay? I want to stay here with all of you."

It was Cye's turn to bark out a laughing sob as he held her tight. One hand cradled her head as he tucked her into his chest. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. We are happy to have you with us." It felt like an understatement, but Cye didn't know what other words to use to express the relief of not having to see her taken from him again.

Up ahead, Natalia stalked toward them, using the universal "What the hell?" body language.

Kento just motioned for her to get back to the cab. "You're going by yourself," he said, though it wasn't loud enough for her to hear from that distance.

"Bye bye!" Rowen called louder, waving at her and grinning in triumph.

Natalia blinked at them in confusion, but when Cye turned around, leading Robyn back to the house, she got the hint. She gave them a small wave good-bye and returned to the taxi. The car drove away as the group moved toward the house.

When Cye finally let her go, Robyn drifted to Kento to give him a one-armed hug around the waist. She made a soft noise when he draped an arm around her to hug her back.

"I haven't seen you guys in a long time," she said into his side.

"I know," he responded gently. "It's been tough, but we're all home now."

She smiled at him and then leaned forward so she could see the third person walking on the other side of Cye. "I see you over there, Rowen."

"Oh, so _now_ you remember my name."

She stuck out her lip in a mock pout. "Poor baby. Ego so fragile."

Instead of getting irritated, Rowen broke into a grin. It was too good to see a normal look on her face, to hear her talk to them like she used to.

"That's me. Fragile ego baby."

"Can I give you a hug?"

Rowen's eyes instantly lit up at the offer. He smoothly swept in front of Cye, cutting off Torrent to dip down low. He wrapped his arms around her hips and hefted Robyn up high. She gave a squawk, doubling over to grab his shoulders for balance.

"This isn't what I meant," she complained.

"We'll, it's what you're getting," Strata responded, internally frowning as he felt how light she was. Now that she was with them again, they were going to _feed_ this girl. He turned right up the stairs and marched her into the house. Robyn laughed and cried out as she had to duck down again to fit through the door without banging her head. The others smiled as they followed after.

From the top floor, Sage had watched out the window. He turned to tell Ryo what had happened, but Wildfire was out again, half-eaten bowl still in his lap. Oh well, he'd learn about it soon enough. Even Sage had to smile a bit to himself. After all they had been through, it finally began to feel like everything was going to be okay.


	2. Chapter 2: The Melancholy

Author's Notes: Hey readers, sorry for the long wait. Currently, my main focus is on Urban Legend (which you should totally look at if you haven't. It's a lot of fun.) And I only pick at this story in between passing UL back and forth between my co-author. So thanks for your patience with this.

 **The Knight and the Princes**

 **Chapter Two: The Melancholy**

As Ryo awoke later that morning, he had the distinct feeling he was not alone in the room. His first assumption was that Sage was still hanging around, trying to mother him. Upon opening his eyes, however, he saw another body laying in the twin bed across from his. Robyn's red hair sprawled around the pillow as she watched him with hooded, sleepy eyes.

Ryo sat up a little, surprised to see her there when the last thing he remembered was Sage telling him Robyn was off to the airport with the possibility they would never see her in person again.

"Hey," was all that fell out of his mouth.

"Hey," came the lazy response. Robyn didn't move. She looked too comfortable where she was.

"What are you doing here?"

"I said I was going to look after you for a while, but I just ended up napping with you instead. I hope that's okay."

A smile tugged at the side of his mouth. "You're different now."

She returned the smile with one of her own, full of familiarity. "I know I'm home now."

Ryo opened his mouth to tell her how great that was, how relieved he felt that she remembered him, that she knew where she belonged. Rowen's entrance cut him off.

"Hey, hey, lunch is going to be ready soon. Hope you're hungry."

"Ugh, starving," Robyn replied. She flopped over on her back, touching her stomach. "I'm gonna eat it all."

"That's what we like to hear." Rowen strolled in and up to Robyn's bed. Without warning, he flung himself crosswise on top of her with a "whomp". Robyn "oofed" as his abdomen landed on hers, knocking the air out of her. Then she squawked and laughed as she tried to remove Rowen's heavier form off her.

He continued to be a smug, dead weight on top of her until she managed to roll him off the bed with a mighty shove. The action even surprised Rowen as he tumbled loudly to the floor. Robyn laughed at his startled expression.

"That's what you get."

"Stop fooling around up there and come down to eat," Cye's voice came from the floor below.

Rowen pulled himself to his feet as Robyn sat up.

"How about you, Ryo?" the former asked. "Think you might be able to make it downstairs to join us?" He touched Wildfire's forehead. "Fever's nearly gone."

Ryo winced a little as he gently pulled himself up to a sitting position. "I could probably make it. I'm already sick of being in bed anyway."

Slowly, he managed to rotate himself so his legs were hanging off the bed. He wore a gray pair of sweats with a dark blue T-shirt. His feet were bare. While his clothes were clean, there were still some dirty patches of skin and the grime of his hair told he hadn't seen a shower yet since they'd gotten home.

Certainly, no one blamed him for his current state and neither Rowen nor Robyn hesitated to get in close to help lift him onto his feet. If anything, it was more of a rivalry.

"It's okay, Robyn, I've got him," Strata offered.

"You're too tall, you're going to make him stretch his stitches," Robyn insisted. "I can do it."

"No, it's fine, we can-"

"I said I can do it, _Rowen_."

Ryo smiled at Rowen as he put both arms around the redhead's shoulders. "I'll stick with her."

Robyn looked triumphant as she allowed Ryo to lean on her, her arm around his waist as they walked toward the door.

"Can you blame me?" Ryo threw back at his teammate.

"No," Rowen said to himself as he watched them leave the room. "No, I cannot."

Ryo was heartily greeted as he gingerly sat himself at the table. Mia, of course, went to check his temperature as well, ruffling his bangs affectionately as she did so, and then set a full plate of food in front of him.

This meal certainly had a much more comfortable air to it than the early-morning breakfast before. Everyone was where they belonged. Conversation was little, but light. Everyone still ate like they hadn't eaten a good meal in weeks. Robyn shared their appetite this time and the guys were all quietly satisfied to see her acting more like herself.

During lunch, Mia, the only one not inhaling her food, took notice of how the guys were all subtly checking on each other. Even though it had been a full day since they had returned home safely, each warrior was still keeping an eye on their teammates. They would lean in closer to each other, check on each others' bandages, watch one another's body language for signs of pain or fever. It was really quite cute.

"You should change that again," Rowen said, nodding to the bandage around Cye's bicep.

Cye glanced at it. "Sage is going to do it. He's going to attempt to tap into Halo's healing power."

"I haven't tried it yet," Sage added to give information to the room in general. "I don't know what will happen or how hard it will be. Chances are, it will be the same as before, but you never know. If it works well on Cye, I'll go to Ryo next."

Torrent smiled at Wildfire. "Thank me for being the guinea pig for you."

Ryo smiled back.

"You should probably consider a bath sometime soon, bud," Kento then said to Ryo. "I mean, I love you man, but I can smell you from here."

"I'd love to get clean." Ryo frowned down at himself. He felt gross. "It's so difficult to get up and down in the tub, but I could shower."

"Unless you suddenly pass out from standing under hot water too long," Sage reasoned. "I can help you if you-"

"No," Ryo instantly cut him off.

"I don't mind helping," Cye said.

"Not a better offer," Ryo insisted.

"I could-"

"No, Kento."

Robyn sat with her chin resting on her palm. With an amused grin, she raised her hand to volunteer.

Ryo pointed at her. "Yes."

"No," his other four teammates warned all at once, each with a different threat level in their tone.

Robyn and Mia both laughed.

* * *

Ryo didn't want to admit it out loud, but after a while, standing under the hot water did make him a little dizzy. He had to lean against the wall for balance a few times, especially as he washed his hair. But it was all worth it to be clean again.

Once finished, he stepped out of the shower. Wearing a towel around his waist he slid open the Japanese-style door to the changing area. There he found Rowen sitting on the floor reading a book.

"Just here in case you needed anything," Strata answered without being asked. He didn't even glace in Wildfire's direction before standing and leaving.

Ryo dressed in the extra set of clothes he always kept at Mia's house in case of instances such as these, then he padded barefoot in sweats and a t-shirt back to the room he had been using and carefully lay back in bed. He closed his eyes with a tired sigh. The mere act of showering had taken a lot out of him. He was ready for another nap.

A few moments later, Sage stepped into the room. He didn't even ask for permission before hiking up Ryo's shirt to inspect the wound. The raw, jagged flesh stitched together with black surgical thread was not the most welcome sight to behold, but it looked healthy enough. No sign of infection, so it seemed to be healing properly.

Ryo was slightly annoyed at how little Sage respected his personal space when he was injured. Sage cared not as he pressed a cool, pale hand to Ryo's stomach, making him flinch.

"Cold," Ryo complained.

"Deal with it," Sage retorted as he closed his eyes and concentrated. His earlier session with Cye went well. Halo's power responded well to being called forth to heal. The armor certainly couldn't heal a to-the-bone gash or a bullet wound in a day, but it would definitely speed things up.

Once finished, Sage straightened and looked down at the wound. The flesh seemed a little less red and angry now. He pulled Ryo's shirt back in place and draped a blanket over him. Ryo took the treatment silently, but with a frown. Covering himself with a blanket seemed like an easy task, but actually proved to be quite painful. Still, it didn't mean he enjoyed being mothered so much.

"I'm going into town for most of the day," Sage informed him. "I have to pick up my car and take care of some business. I'll be back later tonight if you need anything. In the meantime, you can-"

"Sage, I'm fine," Ryo insisted. "The house is full of people and I can do most things for myself. Seriously, I am satisfied with my care."

Sage just looked at him blankly, not getting the movie reference.

Ryo then stared at him pointedly. "Go. Away."

That Sage understood and he left with a smirk.

It was only a few minutes later when the taxi he called for showed up outside the house. Mia had offered to give him a ride if need be, but Sage was insistent that she still had many others to care for. He could take care of himself.

The taxi drove him toward town and the airport. He had been the only one to take his personal vehicle to the airport when they had first left for Oregon. More than once, Sage tried to count how many days ago that was for them. They were on day four now of disappearing from their normal lives, but they had spent a couple weeks in Falnan and then another week in the future. Time seemed a difficult thing to wrap his head around when he thought about it too hard.

Instead, Sage surreptitiously checked the contents of his wallet, finding both cash and cards still present. He was quite proud of himself for having been able to hold onto it through both different worlds and time travel. For everyone else, most of their cell phones, passports, wallets and personal times were left back in that hotel in Oregon.

As soon as it was remembered that these things were missing Mia had called the hotel, apologized for disappearing and paid for the hotel rooms with the credit card she kept at home for emergencies. Natalia had already promised she would drop by the hotel when she reached home and pick up all their luggage. Then she said she would send them back the important stuff. In the next few days, their time to heal was also going to be spent trying to get their lives back in order again. They all had to step back into their ordinary lives as if nothing ever happened.

As if he had never witnessed what he had seen.

Sage's cool violet eyes had beheld many a strange and violent thing. All hard to witness, traumatic. But nothing kept replaying itself in his head so obsessively as the death of the Warlord of Darkness. Over and over he heard that sickening crunch of bones in his ears. He remembered the blood backing up, boiling over Cale's open mouth. He remembered the way the body fell so _wrongly_ , as if everything sturdy in the middle had suddenly liquefied.

A sickness rose in his chest as he thought about it. Cale would no doubt take some morbid pleasure in it if he knew his gruesome death would haunt Sage for the rest of his life.

* * *

Mia's house phone and both her laptop and desktop were in constant use as the guys attempted to get back into their normal lives again. Each had a bit of notice before they left in order to contact teachers and bosses and let them know of sudden emergencies that would cause them to disappear for a few days. Now each attempted to get back in touch with the people in their lives in order to report in and pick up where they left off on school work.

Cye had just finished e-mailing several of his professors before leaving the laptop for Rowen's use. Kento was still on the desktop attempting to do the same. Technology and Hardrock rarely met and Kento was the slowest typist Cye had ever seen. He would probably be at it for a while.

Stepping into the living room, Cye found Robyn staring blankly out one of the windows. She had that same look on her face, the one she wore before. The one that was lost, scared and troubled. Cye didn't like that at all.

"Hey."

Robyn was startled from her melancholy at the sound of his voice. To Cye's relief, the troubled expression disappeared from her face.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, giving the scenery out the window one last look before moving away. "I'm just trying to fill in some of the blanks." Cye sat himself on the couch and patted the cushion next to him for her to join. "There's still a lot of fuzzy moments when I think about all that happened. I'm trying to retrace my steps a bit to see if I can figure it all out."

Cye put an arm around her as she sat next to him. "No need to push too hard. The important thing is that we're all here and safe now. In fact..." He drifted off for a moment as he thought about all they had been through. There were a few things he wouldn't have minded forgetting himself. "Maybe it's good there are some things you don't remember."

Robyn nodded and leaned against him a bit. He was right. This, being here with everyone and safe was the most important thing. The past was over. Remembering or forgetting it didn't change what happened. But it still ate at her.

"And how are you?" Cye asked when he noticed Ryo slowly walk into the room.

"Not bad," Ryo said. "Other than the fact that all I want to do is eat and sleep."

"That's all any of us want to do." Cye yawned. "It's been murder trying to get my internal clock back on our original timezone."

Ryo slowly sat himself on the couch on the other side of Robyn, wincing as he did so.

She placed a gentle hand on his abdomen. "How is this feeling?"

His hand landed on top of hers. "Better. Sage and Halo gave it a little push so I think I'm through the worst of it."

He held her hand there, his touch warm, his body warm beneath the shirt. His smile was the warmest of all as they looked at each other.

Cye raised a curious brow from his side of the couch. This was...new. Or maybe it wasn't; it was hard to tell. They had all only reunited with Robyn a short time ago and during that time there was nothing but chaos. Between their time in Falnan and the future, everyone had been tossed around, having different experiences without each other in the strange worlds in which they were introduced. It would be days, weeks, before each one of them would be able to fill in each other on all the different things that happened to them during this time.

Cye knew Ryo had been with Robyn from the time he had been shot until when he showed up during the final battle. Even though she didn't know him, she had cared for him and she clearly trusted him. She kept clinging to him all the way home on the train. Of course the two would grow a little closer from an experience like that. Cye was just happy that she seemed content to be around them again.

"I'm ready to go," Mia announced as she stepped into the room. "Will you guys be fine for a few hours? I'm taking Robyn to pick up a few essentials."

Robyn was still wearing the same clothing Mia had given her the day before. She definitely could have used something new to wear.

"I can also drop by the house later," Cye volunteered. "I think we've still got some of your old clothes packed away. Mom didn't want to get rid of anything."

"I would actually prefer that to shopping," Robyn said as she stood. "Is there anyway we could do that first? And then whatever I still need after we can pick up at the store. Plus I want to see Cye's mom."

Mia brightened at the idea. "Sure. Cye, come with us and we'll drop by your house first."

"She's not home," Cye said. "She's off visiting Sayako and the kids in Hagi for a while. She's going to be gone for at least another week."

Robyn immediately looked disappointed.

"It's probably for the best," Cye continued. "Mom will ream both you and me if she sees you show up before school's even out. Let's keep you at Mia's until the semester's over. Then we'll tell her you're back. You can probably move back in if you want."

Robyn gave a weak smile. She was still feeling very out of place with her sudden decision to stay in Japan. Her world was still spinning; she had yet to come up with a plan for what to do with herself now that she was here.

"If you're going to get Robyn some new clothes," Kento called as he stepped into the room, "can I get my sweater back?"

Robyn instantly hugged herself, covered in the large hoodie whose sleeves easily swallowed up her hands and then some. "No, you gave this to me, no take-backs."

"Come on, Rob. It doesn't even fit you."

"You were ready to let me take this to another country and never see it again. It's mine, now." And with that, she ran for the front door and out to the car.

* * *

Upon arriving at the empty Mouri house, Cye let them in with a key hidden under a frog statue by the door. Mia stayed downstairs to speak with her work on the phone while Cye led the way upstairs to Robyn's old room. Upon entering, Robyn was flung a year into the past. A very foreign feeling of being home came upon her and she was so grateful she had decided to stay in Japan.

"My stuff's still in here?" she asked as she stepped in, going through the closet. Her things were in boxes now to keep them from getting dusty, but the room looked very much the same as when she had left.

"It's only been a year," Cye said. "Mom kept hoping you'd come back. She wanted to make sure there was still a place for you if you needed it."

Robyn sniffled a little. "I love that woman so much."

"You can tell her so after school's over. She will be thrilled to hear it."

As Robyn dug through the boxes, Cye went to his own room to pack a few \personal items. He could have stayed there, in the house where he lived normally if he wished. But after all they had been through, being with the guys, having them all heal together was something he craved more than sleeping in his own room. He planned to stay at the mansion at least for the next few nights if he could.

Once he had packed a quick travel bag, he returned to Robyn's room to find her sitting on the bed, staring off into space. That troubled look was back again.

"Robyn?"

This time, she reacted more slowly as her head turned toward him. "Is this what it's like for you?" she asked softly. "You go off somewhere to protect the world, see all these amazing, horrifying things. And when you come back, nothing feels the same anymore. It's very, horribly quiet and you feel like you're this different... thing from the rest of the world."

Cye sat himself next to her on the bed, breathing out deeply. "It takes some time. Every day feels a little more normal. Every day it gets easier to pretend you don't know what you know. But what helps most of all is knowing you didn't go through it alone. That there's people there with you who understand what you're going through, who believe you because they were there." He reached over to touch the hand resting in her lap. "We're all going through it and we're all here for each other. That's why we're all still going to be at the house for a few days recovering, talking it all out, making sure everyone's okay. Don't ever be afraid to tell anyone what you're feeling. We're all here for each other, alright?"

Robyn squeezed his hand back and smiled. "Alright."

* * *

When Mia, Cye and Robyn returned from shopping, they found Rowen and Kento fast asleep, napping on the pull-out couch in the living room. Ryo was still up, puttering around in the back yard with White Blaze in his shadow.

Around dinner time, Sage's car pulled up to the Koji mansion. He came with a packed travel bag, evidence that he had been home since they all saw him last. He could have stayed there and slept in his own bed that night. It seemed he, just like the others, had a greater urge to be together with his team after being a part of such craziness for so long.

A large dinner was served that night and everyone ate heartily. Conversation was loud and animated as they all discussed the last few weeks of their lives. Mia especially wanted to hear all about their time in the future: what it was like, what were the warlords like, how did they live so long, did they really see Talpa?

The ronins all took turns filling her in the best they could, and also filling each other in during the times they had been separated. Mia asked all the questions. Robyn just ate silently and listened. White Blaze eventually sat himself next to her, resting his head in her lap. She allowed it as she continued to eat.

"So, who was this Suzu you keep mentioning?" Mia then asked. "Was she related to the Dynasty? Or to... even one of you guys? How did she have a connection to the armors?"

"That's the craziest thing, no one would tell us," Kento said. "They wouldn't even let us see her face."

"Rowen seemed to know more about her," Sage recalled with a suspicious look to his best friend, "but he wouldn't tell anybody."

Rowen slammed his chopsticks down in sudden realization. "That's right! I did know something! And I was totally dying to tell you guys, too! What was it?" He paused to confer with the recesses of his mind; and came back with nothing. "I... I don't remember."

Sage groaned.

Rowen continued to search his recollection. He remembered the emotions. It tore him up to keep this secret from his team. What was it? What had gotten him so tied up in knots? He couldn't remember. All he did remember was...

"It was Dais! He took my memory from me before I went into the portal! That son of a bitch! He made me forget everything!" Rowen clutched his hair in impotent frustration. "Why would he do that to me?"

"Why indeed," Sage huffed, clearly disappointed. "Looks like they'll be keeping that secret to themselves."

Rowen let out another irritated growl. This was going to haunt him for a long time. Nothing was worse than knowing he had forgotten something important and there was possibly no way of getting it back.

"I don't think it's a big deal either way," Kento announced. "She was clearly on our side and she was willing to do anything she could to help us and get us home. Whatever secret they were all protecting, it was clearly none of our business. Or maybe even something that would... I dunno, mess up the space/time continuum or whatever if we knew. Maybe we're better off not knowing."

"Nothing is better off not being known!" Rowen practically screamed.

Cye gave Strata a bland look. "He's going to be insufferable about this for a while, isn't he?"

"And Robyn?" Mia asked politely, now actively avoiding Rowen's personal crisis, "the guys said you were in the city, too, but suffering from some sort of amnesia?"

Robyn stopped eating and looked down at her plate. She was happier when so much attention wasn't on her. "I guess... I got there before everyone else. White Blaze and I were probably there for, like... maybe two months or so? I'm not sure. But I was just there... just a blank wall. I couldn't remember anything. I thought I lived there. I thought I was a part of that time and that being on the Inside was just the way it was."

It was clear Cye was dying to ask what happened to her. The question was so far out on his tongue, Mia could see him trying to speak the words. She asked for him.

"What happened? Do you know why you forgot everything like that?"

"I've been trying to figure that out myself. Just today, I've been starting to remember everything. It's not like something extra horrible happened to me. It's just... after everything in Falnan, I remember how badly I wanted to get out of there. White Blaze and I walked through that portal and I was so ready to see something familiar, to be somewhere safe and normal again. And we step out into this nightmare city where everything's dark, where monster's hunt in the street.

"I was left all alone. There was no one to explain what happened or where I was. I kept waiting for you guys to show up. But when no one else came, I think I just had some sort of breakdown. I guess my subconscious decided it could better handle going in with a blank slate, accepting my circumstances, than knowing I shouldn't be there, but no one was going to come for me."

She looked around at the warriors at the table and then glanced down in apology. "I'm sorry I said it that way. I know it's not your fault. I shouldn't be so reliant on you guys for everything like that."

Kento put a hand on her shoulder. "It wasn't your fault either," he said gently.

"You have every reason to rely on us," Ryo said seriously. "And every right to be disappointed when we let you down. It's our job to protect people, especially those closest to us. We didn't know what was going on or where you were, but I'm sorry we didn't come for you sooner."

"In fact, Robyn saved Ryo's ass," Kento said with a grin. "This dumbass gets himself shot and girlfriend over here takes care of business herself."

Robyn smiled a little, glancing at Ryo. Wildfire chuckled at the truth of the statement and then instantly flinched and held his side. That statement managed to lighten the mood for the rest of the night with only Rowen remaining a bit salty after dinner was over.

* * *

Kento tossed restlessly in bed, unable to sleep. He was exhausted, but his body strangely vibrated with adrenaline, his heart racing in fight or flight mode. What was going on? Why couldn't he calm down? Was this his body still recovering from being in the heat of battle so much in such a small amount of time? What was going on?

He rolled over with a heavy flop and a sigh, idly wondering if he should get up and do a little work out to get rid of all the butterflies trapped under his skin.

"Can't sleep?" Cye's voice asked from the next bed over.

Kento rolled onto his back. "My body's being weird. Like... like it's having a panic attack or something, but I'm just fine. I don't know what it's doing."

"I'm feeling a little restless, too. But that... that's a little odd. Has it ever happened before?"

Not that Kento could recall. Unless last night counted. Last night he recalled that he was feeling a bit of the same. It happened right before-

A muffled feminine cry of distress reached their ears and both of them sat up in bed. The sounds continued as they padded out into the hallway. Closer to the stairs, Ryo appeared from his room as well, a hand on his abdomen. Kento put a hand to his chest, his heart was racing as if his life were in danger. It compelled him forward down the stairs to the single bedroom where Robyn slept. The others followed him, Sage now joining as well. Rowen was most likely still in bed. Strata was dead to the world when he slept.

The periodic cries grew louder as they neared the closed door of Robyn's room. Kento opened it easily, as the door knob was completely broken after Rowen had broken in the door the night before. Robyn lay inside, curled up on the bed pressed against the wall. Her limbs jerked fruitlessly, tangled in the blankets so tightly they impeded her movement.

Cye flipped on the light as Kento stepped inside. As he approached the mattress, Robyn suddenly let out a horrified shriek in her sleep. She kicked at the wall, her leg making a dull thud, and Kento swooped in to pull her away. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her from behind. She immediately struggled as he pressed her against his chest and shook her gently.

"Robyn, wake up."

She stopped fighting the second her eyes popped open. Her heart pounded in her chest so hard, Kento could feel it through her back. It pounded in rhythm with his, almost if they were one. Was there some sort of connection here? Had it been Robyn's anxiety that didn't let him sleep?

He felt her heart rate slowly lower, as did his. She remained still in his arms, not even acknowledging his presence or anyone else in the room. All was still, save her breathing, for a moment.

"Sorry," she finally rasped. "I guess I had a bad dream."

"But you're okay now?"

There was hesitation. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Kento loosened his hold. Then he felt it, an acute feeling that told him she wasn't ready to be let go. He tightened his embrace again. "Well, I'm just going to sit here for a moment anyway." She relaxed against him in his arms, the breath slowly going out of her in a silent, soft sigh.

Cye sat himself on the bed next to them as Ryo and Sage moved in closer. "This same thing happened last night, too. Do you want to talk about it?"

Like a telegraph line, Kento felt the surge of emotion from the body in his arms. He was aware of the embarrassment of being in this situation and the desire to be left alone. This wasn't so much as he was feeling all of this himself, more like the idea was being pressed upon him that this was how Robyn was reacting internally to the question. His hunch was confirmed when she sat up straighter, attempting to look stronger than she felt as she pulled away from him. Kento let her go.

"They're hard to explain. I can't recall them very well once I wake up. I think they're like... stress dreams or something. I mean we all went through so much, I think my subconscious is trying to come to terms with it all."

"But you don't have to deal with it alone," Cye continued.

"Yeah, believe me," Ryo cut in, "you're not the first one have very vivid, scary dreams after something like this. I had nightmares about Talpa for weeks after he was gone."

"A lot of us did," Sage agreed in a low, calm tone.

"I could stay with you a while, if you want," Cye offered.

She looked at all of them, their full attention on her. A rose colored tint painted her cheeks and Robyn touched her face as if to hide it. "This is really embarrassing, guys. They're just bad dreams. And I'm awake now so I should be okay."

In the background, Ryo and Sage looked at each other. They had a feeling she was purposefully downplaying her distress, especially after her clear display of utter terror in her sleep. But there wasn't anything they could do about it. If Robyn didn't want them to stay with her, they would have to respect her wishes.

"You sure?" Cye asked, looking as unconvinced as the rest of them.

She put her fingers on his arm. "I'm serious. All of you still look exhausted. None of you have to stay up because of me. Look at me, I'm fine. Now that I'm awake, it's over. And it's really unusual for me to have a bad dream twice in one night. So I'm good. I'm sorry I woke everyone up."

"You don't have to be sorry, Rob," Kento said softly. "That's why we're all still here together. It takes some time to get over all the hard stuff and we're here for each other."

She gave him a bit of a forced smile as she nodded. "And you guys did your job, you woke me up. Seriously, I feel kind of stupid. I'd really just like for all of us to go back to bed."

"Alright," Cye said. He hugged her around the shoulders. "Just remember that offer always stands. You can come to any of us if you need anything."

"Ditto," Kento said, hugging them both until Robyn let out a forced breath as the air was squeezed out of her between the two of them.

"Okay, I got it." Her smile was more genuine this time. "Good night everyone."

Eventually, they all left to return to their own rooms. Robyn made no further noise for the rest of the night. Despite this, the warriors didn't exactly enjoy a restful night.

* * *

Rowen awoke late, as usual, his limbs feeling heavy and his mood feeling foul. Why he was in such a bad mood, he didn't know, but he carried it with him clearly as he tromped downstairs with a frown. It must have been an impressive stink face that he wore for Mia actually balked when she saw him and moved out of his way.

"Rough night?" she asked while he fumbled for the coffee.

Rowen just grunted in response. In truth, he wasn't sure. He had slept like a log the entire night. He should be feeling fine. Instead, there was an acute sense of... emotional disquiet and he couldn't quite put his finger on why. If he tried to pick apart of the mixed feelings, putting each into a category, the early morning grumpiness was merely the surface. Below it, settled deep in his chest was... sadness.

Upon that discovery, Rowen had a very specific inkling that this sensation, this feeling wasn't coming from him. Robyn brushed passed him, getting up from the table and that heavy, despairing feeling sank deeper in his heart.

"Hey, Robyn," he called to her before she could leave the room. She paused to look at him, her face mostly neutral. "How are you feeling?"

She smiled at him. That smile took him back to high school. He saw that smile constantly. She always smiled, she always seemed happy. But it wasn't a complete happiness. Fear sat to the back; thinly, carefully veiled. The smile lied to them all, making them think everything was fine, everything was normal. That same smile lied to him now. How easily she could do that when his heart thumped slow and heavy in his chest.

"I'm getting there," Robyn admitted. "It might take a while, but I'm sure it will get better." Those words were far more truthful than her smile. She did not deny she was still trying to come to terms with all that had happened to them. It wasn't something any person just walked away from unchanged. She was allowed to need time to feel normal again; all of them were.

"While you're at it, you should start trying to contact your teachers and see what you can do to finish your classes," Cye offered from the table. "And contact your roommate. I know it's tough, but it will really help to get back into normal everyday activities. Trust me."

She smiled again. A weak smile, but there was an attempt to make it genuine. "Okay, I'll work on that."

* * *

Later that day, Kento drove himself and Rowen to the city to do much of the same thing; reconnect with their daily responsibilities and try to play catch up. They would be at it all day, each going to their respective homes and schools to speak with instructors and to gather personal belongings, for themselves and for Ryo, before returning to the mansion that evening. During the drive, Rowen noticed that heavy feeling in his chest had finally cleared itself out.

"Is it just me, or does it just feel better to be out and away from the house?"

"It's away from Robyn," Kento said seriously, eyes on the road. "I'm willing to bet money that weird feeling of anxiety is coming from her."

Rowen raised a dubious brow. "How can you tell?"

"Through Hardrock. We still share that weird guardian bond... thing, I guess. Every time I start feeling bad for no reason, its like the armor points me right at her. It's her anxiety, her depression I'm feeling."

"So then, why do I feel it, too?"

Kento shrugged. "Maybe it's all part of the armor bond. We're always been able to tell when one of us is in distress or danger, especially if they're close by. Maybe it's part of the guardian bond, too. Or maybe it's because of Inferno. Remember when the armor saved her life? All the armors put their energy into her to save her. Maybe that's why. Either way, it just feels like the armors want us to know she's in distress."

"Maybe tonight we should talk about everything," Rowen ventured. "I mean, we have been talking about everything, but Robyn's never really said much. But then again, I guess she..." He paused, letting his head drop against the headrest of the car seat as he realized something. "She's had a different experience than the rest of us both times, hasn't she?"

"She's used to having a different experience and then keeping all to herself," Kento agreed. "Maybe if we let her get some things off her chest, she'll feel better about it. And then maybe we can all finally get a good night's sleep."

* * *

Mia had been gone most of the day and called the house phone to let them know she wouldn't be back until late. Work had piled up, along with an invitation to dinner from a few colleagues. Cye, who had answered the phone, insisted Mia go and have fun. Everyone was back home and they were all adults who could take care of themselves. With all the craziness over and no danger in sight, there was no reason Mia couldn't get back to her normal life and enjoy herself.

Both Sage and Kento helped Cye with dinner and Kento told the other two about the possibility of giving them all some quiet time together after eating for everyone to speak their mind and get anything off their chest. Hardrock had glanced at Sage while making the suggestion. They had all seen some crazy shit lately. Sage still had a haunted look on his face now and again. It would do Halo some good to take advantage of opportunity as well.

When everyone gathered to the table for dinner, the subject was brought up again to make sure all involved were on the same page.

"Just a quiet night," Kento was saying. "No internet, no TV. We just all sit together and talk about everything. You know, get all the garbage off our chests."

Most seemed to be in agreement. Ryo, who was hearing of this for the first time, nodded. Robyn watched her plate as she slowly put food into her mouth.

"Robyn?" Cye pressed, looking for confirmation.

Her head popped up. "Oh, me, too? I thought you were talking about just you guys."

"Of course you, too," Kento said, poking her in the side. "You think we're just going to leave you out?"

"I just thought maybe it was a Ronin Warrior thing. It's okay if you don't include me. I understand."

To her other side, Rowen's hand landed on her wrist, his touch surprising her. "We're all in this together," he said softly. "Have been for a while."

Robyn's cheeks colored slightly at the touch. "I suppose we are," she said even softer.

Ryo watched her across the table. Her nightmares, he was sure, were at least partially the reason for this group therapy session they were going to have. He had been observing her most of the day since there was little else he had to do to bide his time while he healed. He noticed there were times when Robyn seemed normal, even happy, and then moments where her mind drifted off and a look of concern would cross her features. She needed to talk. They all needed to talk. It was time.

* * *

When dinner was over, they all decided they were going to get comfortable by changing into pjs and lounging attire before meeting in the living room. The act had an air of nostalgia in it for the warriors. They had done this once before, when they were teenagers and Talpa had been completely defeated. While the world seemed to go on smoothly from their brush with annihilation, for the ronins, life had hung in uncertain suspension.

What were they supposed to do with themselves after this? How were they supposed to go back to the normal world after all they had experienced? After fighting for their lives, bleeding for strangers, feeling such a horrible, terrifying desperation to succeed? It had felt like they were tainted now. That anyone who saw them on the street would automatically know that they were different. They were something not quite human with more than human experiences.

So they had all gathered on Mia's floor like cautious mice, afraid to peer out of their hole. And they talked deep into the night. They talked about their fears that they would never see the world the same again, that they could never live normal lives again. The talked about their worries for the future, that some other evil would rear its head, that the armors would need to be used again. And they reminded each other that they weren't alone. All five of them shared these fears and hardships. All five of them had each other forever. That night had made all the difference.

Now, they were set to do it again. They would remain in each other's company late into the night if needed, letting everyone speak their minds, their fears, their hardships. All would listen, all would support. All, hopefully, would heal.

Blankets and pillows were brought in as there wasn't enough furniture to seat everyone and all wanted to be on the same level with each other. The scene looked more like a slumber party than a serious council of warriors. Kento and Rowen had flat on just sprawled on the floor on their stomachs, covered in blankets while Sage sat cross legged and straight-backed. Cye, Ryo and Robyn opted for sitting in a row, using the couch as a back rest. The latter had her knees pulled up, blanket covering all of her so only her head poked out.

At first, the conversation started light as the warriors covered whatever random thoughts entered their heads. There were many "remember how" and "wasn't that crazy when" type comments covering the last few weeks of their lives. Most of it seemed to drift toward the last phase of their adventures. Working with the warlords and Kayura were still fresh on everyone's minds. Even after it was over, the ronins were all still reeling from the abrupt shift from foe to friend that was forced on them.

"I still don't like him—Sekhmet," Cye said with a frown. "Not that there was much time to chat, but every time I talked to him, he acted like he had so many more important things to do with his time. It was very irritating."

"Kayura always smiling at us like we were adorable little kids was also annoying," Rowen said. "She kept looking at me like she wanted to ruffle my hair. It was so weird that she was older than me now. I'm so used to the spoiled little brat she was."

"And what about that Suzu?" Ryo asked. "Just who was she supposed to be and why was she able to tap into our armor powers?"

Rowen visibly frowned. That still ate at him. He just knew something important had been stolen from his brain and he was still so bitter about it.

"What is the point of hiding her identity from us?" Sage ventured. "Why would it matter if we saw her face or not? They lived so far in the future, why would that knowledge affect any of us? It doesn't make sense."

"I'm still going on the no-face theory," Kento said. "Or maybe she was some kind of other being and her appearance was far beyond our understanding."

"You totally had a thing for her," Rowen snickered.

"Shut up, I did not! It was just like... you felt better when she was around. Like everything was going to be okay."

"Maybe to lull us in a false sense of security," Sage said with a frown. "Everything about her was deceptive."

"Not that it matters any more," Cye put in. "We may not ever see her again."

After a moment's hesitance, Sage added: "Maybe she had something to do with Cale. She seemed close to him. There were times she felt like darkness, too. His darkness. And I definitely felt something between them when he..." Halo looked away, bombarded by the sudden graphic memory.

"Sage, what happened?" Ryo asked softly after so much silence.

The blond let out a heavy breath. "I never would have wished for a death like that for him, even as a teenager. It was like... giant jaws just broke him in half. Everything solid that held him up crumbled and the body just... fell to the ground. There was so much blood. I always thought I would be stronger than that, that I could prepare myself for watching death in front of my face. There's no way to prepare it.

"But the thing that keeps haunting me the most is how he looked at me, so defiant. So insistent that I never tell his present self. That I never try to warn him about how he dies. And in the end, there was something about him that was so... _relieved_ that he was about to die. I don't understand that at all."

"Maybe after living all those years, you get tired," Rowen ventured. "All that time working for Talpa has got to put some miles on a person's soul. Even for them."

"Did you know he didn't leave a body when he died?" Sage then said. "I saw the darkness—his element—come for him. It swallowed him up and there was nothing left but blood on the ground. I keep wondering, will that happen to us? Will our elements and armors come for us when we die? Are we going to leave nothing physical behind?"

There was a breath of silence in the room.

"Damn, why is that so creepy?" Kento complained. "I mean, it shouldn't matter because we'll be dead but... I dunno. I don't want my body to just disappear, like, what? Swallowed by the earth for me? How is my family going to react to that? Can't Hardrock just chill? I'd prefer to be cremated, thanks."

"Guess we have no choice," Ryo said with a shrug.

"Of course you don't care, Ryo, you're getting cremation from Wildfire anyway."

Ryo smirked at that comment, allowing the dark humor to lighten the mood. Sometimes a dark sense of humor was necessary for their sanity.

"Robyn? Do you want to say anything?" Cye then asked. "You're being awfully quiet."

She stiffened a little when the attention was put on her and then shrugged. "This is fine. I enjoy listening to all of you talking. Even though it's hard to hear what you went through, this is nice being with all of you." She said the last part with a little smile while she stared at her toes curled in the blanket.

"We want to hear from you, too," Rowen said from across the circle. "It's obvious something's been on your mind. Want to share?"

She blinked at them as if the concept of sharing never occurred to her. "I'm... not really sure what to say."

"Do you want to talk about your nightmares?" Cye pressed gently. "Maybe we can help you with them. It was really difficult to see you like that. I know dreams aren't something we can control, but I'd rather not have it happen again if talking about it would help."

Robyn looked down at her feet, feeling like a child under their gaze. The blanket was draped over her front, but she wished she could pull it up behind her like a hood and hide from them. No, that's what her younger self would do. She was an adult now. She had promised herself a year ago she would get stronger, that she wouldn't hide from people, hide from these people especially, the same as she had before.

"It's difficult to talk about because I don't remember it very well. I remember when you guys came all the way to Oregon to see me. I remember going to Falnan and all that craziness. How they had all those rules and tried to get us to do some ridiculous ceremony." She rubbed her face. "It gets fuzzy after that. Any snippet of memory, it's usually black and full of anxiety. But there's feelings of violence and I remember all your voices, but not what you said. I just remember you were all so scared but I don't know what happened."

They were all taken back to that time at her words. They recalled how another being had taken over her, used her body to its own means with no regards for Robyn's personal health or safety. None of them had known what was going on and they had all been terrified that it would end in death. It nearly had.

"So what's in your dreams?" Ryo asked seriously. His intense gaze made Robyn feel like he was sitting too close to her. "What makes you scream like that? It scares the hell out of all of us."

Robyn's eyes widened, staring at him with a hint of blush on her cheeks. They were all adults now. They were all trying to be straight forward with her as well.

"I'm sorry, I just..." She caught herself about to make another excuse, about to downplay her distress and all the things that haunted her. This was the time to be honest. If she couldn't say it here, where could she? "There's like a black... thing. Maybe a person? A figure? With many arms or... many swords? I don't know. I can't see it very well. But it just _stabs_ me, everywhere, all at the same time. There's pain, but also, like I can feel all of them wiggling inside me and it just starts dragging me toward it. That's usually when I really start freaking out and I wake up."

"Damn," Kento said quietly. "Sorry, that's rough."

"And it's not just that," she continued. "I wake up, checking myself for blood, trying to tell myself that it was just a dream but..." Her mouth gaped soundlessly for while. Closed her mouth and then tried again.

After a while, Rowen was about to say something to coax her forward, but Sage motioned him to keep quiet. Robyn was getting used to being open with her friends. She could take all the time she needed to find the right words.

Unable to vocalize what roiled in her chest, she sat up on her knees, the blanket spilling on the floor, and proceeded to remove her shirt. Everyone's eyes went wide at the sudden turn of events.

"Robyn, what are you-" Cye protested.

She wore a bra underneath, but the rest was bare, exposing multiple circular scars on her chest and abdomen. From his position next to her, Ryo could see several more on her back. His hand hovered over her skin, then pulled back without touching her.

Robyn's voice was remarkably solid as she spoke. "Back when I lost my memory, I saw these marks on my body and they terrified me. I couldn't even fathom what I survived. Even now, it's still hard to look at them. I remember I almost died. I don't remember why it happened. But I will have to see these in the mirror every day. And, one day, I may have to try to explain to another person why I look like this and I have no idea what I would say." She rubbed her face tiredly. "I just... I..."

"Yeah, I've got them, too," Kento spoke up. "From the same thing. Look." He was wearing basketball shorts and he hiked up one leg to show everyone a similar circular scar on his thigh. "Got one here, too." He tugged at the collar of his shirt, but it didn't give as much exposure as he wanted. With a "screw it" he pulled off his shirt to show everyone the other scar above his collar bone. "We've all got crazy scars we're never going to fully explain. I know it's weak compensation, but at least you're not the only one."

She nodded a little, eyes still on the ground, and accepted her shirt back when Ryo handed it to her. She glanced toward his abdomen. He would have a scar, too, that would be difficult to explain to any future partner he may have. "I know I'm not the only one with scars, I'm sorry to complain," she said after she covered herself again.

"No," Kento protested, "that's not what I meant when I said that. Sorry. I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I just wanted you to know we understand."

"And it's not fair," Ryo said seriously. "It's our fault it happened. You were dragged into this because of the armors, because of us. And we failed to keep you safe. While we have so few and you have so many is ridiculous. If any of us could trade you, I'm sure we would."

Robyn gave him a half-hearted sideways smile for his efforts. In her opinion, none of them deserved scars. But they were strangely fitting as they were the only proof of how hard these amazing young men worked to keep the world safe.

"Anything else?" Rowen asked, his chin on his pillow. "Anything we can do for you to make this better?"

Robyn glanced up at him, a flicker of hope in her eyes that she quickly hid. "No, I'm good. This really helped a lot. Thanks guys."

"Noooo, not with that face you just made." Rowen now sat up on his elbows. "Is there something you want us to do?"

The redhead instantly looked flustered. "No, you guys have done enough. It's fine."

"What do you want? You want an apology for all this? Will that make it better?"

Robyn was suddenly horrified. "No! Not at all! This wasn't your fault. I don't blame any of you."

"Then what it is?"

The demanding tone in Strata's voice caused Kento to put a hand on his shoulder to tell him to cool it. It often took prodding to get Robyn to open up, but too much prodding would just shut her down again.

"Robyn," Cye said gently. "You can say anything you want. That's why we're all here together. It's okay. We'll understand."

She glanced at all of them, her eyes lingering on each one just a little. Then she looked down at her toes again, hunched with hands rubbing the back of her neck. What she wanted, she felt she had no right to ask. They had all done enough for her already. She couldn't help but feel like further contact just... inflicted herself on them more than necessary. She already felt bad for showing them her scars, for making them feel bad about it. She didn't feel like she had the right to ask for anything else.

Kento had an inkling. He was reminded of the night before when he held her tight, how her heart raced again when it seemed like he was about to let go. He patted the space between himself and Rowen. "Hey, come over here for a second."

Without thinking, Robyn did as she was told, padding over and kneeling between them. The second she sat down, Kento's arms were around her, tucking her against his chest. She froze at the contact, eyes slightly wider.

"Jeeze, Kento, put your shirt back on first," Cye complained.

Robyn didn't seem to mind. After a moment, she began to relax in his embrace. Another body pressed against her from behind—Rowen—wrapping his arms around both of them.

"Better?" Strata rumbled.

Robyn maneuvered around and hugged Rowen around the torso. Strata, too, felt a release of pressure that had been building inside his chest. He didn't realize he had needed this, too.

"Yes," Robyn grinned. "How about you?"

Rowen just laughed, and there was much relief in the sound. They were all home. They were all alright, and it hit him surprisingly hard. He pulled her in a little tighter.

"Anyone else want to get in on this?" Kento asked with humor in his voice.

Cye instantly crawled over to plop himself among them and Robyn instantly used one arm to tuck his head in between her neck and shoulder. Ryo moved over and Kento carefully put an arm around him, pulling him in. Sage patted them both on the back and a thick, comforting aura of safety floated from the room.

After a time, everyone lay together on the floor, all heads close to one another and feet poking out in a circle. Robyn listened quietly as they told her about everything that happened to her in Falnan. How they had tried desperately to help her, how scary it was. How she almost died if not for the armors stepping in to save her. She lightly touched their hair as each of them talked and she loved them all the more for who they were.

It was getting late when Mia came home and walked in on them all in their weird circle on her living room floor. She didn't even have to ask what they were doing. She understood.

"Hey, Mi," Kento's voice called to her.

"Have fun?" Ryo asked.

"Yeah, it was nice to do something normal for a change," she joked. "Going straight to bed though. How about you guys? Lights on or off?"

"Meh, might as well turn them off," Kento said. "We'll get up if we feel like it."

"Alright, have a good night," and she plunged them into darkness.

The lack of light did little to affect the conversation and the group talked long into the night until one by one they drifted off in each other's company. That night, there was not a single nightmare to be had.


	3. Chapter 3: The Recalibration

Author's Notes: Wow, it's been a while! Urban Legend has been taking up all my focus. But Willows and I both recently noticed how long it has been since we updated our respective other fanfics. We promised ourselves we would update soon in the new year. Then she showed me up by posting a new chapter of "Sol" right away. So she got me to get my butt in gear. Hopefully, after this chapter the story will pick up the pace a little and the chapters will come out a bit faster.

 **The Knight and the Princes**

 **Chapter Three: The Recalibration**

Robyn awoke to the shift of a larger body and breathing in her ear. Her eyes opened to find herself surrounded by slumbering male forms, all of them placed haphazardly around her as they slept on the floor. It was Ryo who dozed in her ear, their heads right next to each other, their bodies pointed in opposite directions. To the left of her, Rowen's back was pressed against her side, her arm slightly pinned between them. To her right, Kento's face was buried in her t-shirt, his heavy arm draped over her abdomen.

Robyn lay there silently, watching the ceiling and wondering how she was going to get out from under the pile of bodies without waking them. As if summoned by her mental musings, Cye's head leaned into her view. For a moment, he just stood over her, hands on hips and smiling in amusement at her predicament.

Eventually, he bent over to lift Kento's arm with one hand and pull Robyn to her feet with the other. For a moment, they watched the three sleeping warriors; none of them had stirred. Sage was the only one missing—most likely the first to get up. Robyn then followed Cye out as he padded off into the kitchen. She plopped herself at the small kitchen table and stretched with a yawn.

"How did you sleep?" Cye asked as he sat in the next seat, turning it to face her.

"Pretty good. How about you?"

"Very well, actually. Slept so well, I just got up. Would you like it if I made us breakfast?"

She grinned at him. "You know I never say no to breakfast." The grin remained as she propped up her chin in her palm and watched him. "One of these mornings you'll have to let me make _you_ breakfast."

The look on his face was indiscernible. Then he leaned forward and Robyn pulled him in as he tucked the bridge of his nose against her shoulder. She hugged him, one hand rubbing his back, playing with the hair at his nape. Behind him, standing in the doorway, stood Sage. He seemed to approve as his expression could be described as nearly serene.

"I'm glad you're back," Cye said into her shirt.

"Me, too." She rested her cheek against his hair as Sage smiled at her and she smiled back.

* * *

The day continued in far better spirits than the one before. Everyone was optimistic and with high energy as they tackled getting back into the swing of everyday life. More laptops were retrieved and several fingers were working away in various parts of the house in order to catch up on school work.

Robyn began to reconcile with her teachers on her new, sudden residence in Japan. Some readily accepted final papers through the internet, others were not so easy to accommodate such a rash action, but it seemed she was going to make it through the semester okay as long as she did the last of her school work.

Her former roommate Natalia had also gotten in touch by now. Bless her heart, she had wasted little time after stepping foot on American soil in retrieving all the abandoned luggage from the hotel and the important items such as passports, phones, keys and wallets were now in the mail back to Japan. All clothes and other personal effects, including the luggage, would just have to be a wash as none of the guys decided the price of shipping was worth the cost of said items.

Still, it would be a while before the package arrived, so most of the group was still forced to live off Mia's emergency credit card for absolute necessities and guiltily drove without their licenses until then. But the inconvenience of it all was only noticed from time to time as everyone still insisted on staying at the mansion.

As Mia walked into the kitchen, she marveled how full the house felt, even though it was so quiet. Very few words had been spoken in the last few hours as everyone was involved with working on papers, homework and pertinent e-mails. They were all scattered about the house as, earlier, most tried to sit together at the long dinning room table and quickly found they were all distracting each other and had to work in separate rooms if they wanted to get anything done. Mia found it most amusing, though she did not envy them at all. She had enjoyed college herself, but was happy when all the classes were finished and she had her doctorate.

A glance at the clock, as well as her empty stomach, told her it was nearly time for lunch. Feeling lazy, she merely set out some assorted fruit, chips and ingredients for sandwiches. The boys could grab what they wanted and get right back to work, hopefully continuing to avoid distracting each other from their school work too much.

Just as she left with an apple and a few chips in her mouth, Rowen appeared from the opposite doorway, rubbing the muscles of his back. He had gotten so into the research of his physics thesis, he hadn't noticed his horrible, hunched posture until he sat up to look at the time. Now he was regretting it as he attempted to knead the muscles between his shoulders while he eyed the spread on the counter.

As he moved to make himself a sandwich, Rowen felt little fingers poking him in the back. Robyn's voice made little robotic beeping sounds as if she were punching a code into a key pad.

"Hello," Rowen said, glancing behind.

"Boop, beep, boop," was her response, still pressing her fingers into his back. He found the action felt good to his sore muscles, which was probably her intention. She was always weird about touching them, as if she wanted contact, but thought they wouldn't like it if she initiated it. Though Rowen couldn't speak for the others, he didn't mind her touching him in the least. After that night, he understood there was a healing element to physical contact and that Robyn probably craved a friendly touch far more than she ever dared ask for it.

"Hungry?" he then asked.

Robyn joined him side by side at the counter. "Always."

He laughed, knowing that feeling of perpetual hunger. It was something that came with a metabolism such as his. The two set about making their sandwiches and filling plates. Their arms brushed as they worked and Rowen took a moment to recall the night before, how Robyn had such a difficult time asking for physical comfort when she needed it so badly. She always had a tough time asking for anything for herself.

Just in case she needed it again, Rowen spontaneously hugged her from behind, his arms draped loosely over her shoulders, his chin resting on the top of her head. Robyn paused momentarily at the contact, but then continued working on her sandwich without trying to remove him. After a while, Rowen became aware of a subtle, but growing change and it made him hug her tighter. He pressed his face into her neck with a deep sigh.

Now that caused Robyn to pause even longer. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Rowen said, his voice with a note of wonder. "In fact, I feel fantastic. Yesterday, if I even got close to you, my chest would get tight like I was about to have a panic attack. But today..." He tightened his hold. "It's like hugging pure sunshine." At that moment, Sage was noticed watching them in the doorway. "Sage, come over here and get some of this."

"I'm a 'this' now?" Robyn joked.

"Come over here and hug Robyn."

Sage approached, but didn't look too amendable to the idea.

"Seriously, I need an impartial party to confirm," Rowen insisted. "Just try it."

With all the dignity he could muster, Sage formally rested his arms lightly on Robyn's shoulders. She just stood there, staring at the chest mere inches from her nose. After a moment, Sage made a noise of pleasant surprise and pulled her in closer so his shirt now pressed against her cheek.

"See?" Rowen said with a grin. "It's nice."

"I wonder why that is," Sage mused out loud, not letting go.

"Maybe it's because you guys are pretty much my favorite people in the world," Robyn said into his shirt. Her hands floated up as if wanting to hug him back, but hesitated in mid air.

"Oh, just hug him," Rowen said, taking her by the arms and putting them around Sage. "He pretends he minds, but he really doesn't."

Robyn put her arms around him, hugging him as tight as she dared—just a little tighter than he was hugging her. Though what she really wanted to do was hug all five of them as hard as she could and never let them go.

Rowen came in from behind her, hugging them both and squishing the redhead between the two male bodies. The three stood in silence for a time, the warriors basking in an inner warmth they couldn't quite define.

"You guys have gotten really tall," Robyn's muffled voice said into Sage's shirt. Each had been taller than her in high school, but now they had surpassed the height of their fellow warriors and Robyn's head barely made it up to the chin of either ronin.

Rowen looked Sage in the eye as he smirked. "Sage doesn't like to lose, he keeps trying to catch up to my growth spurts. He's been growing by sheer willpower alone."

The female body between them vibrated with laughter.

"Any reason this is going on?" Cye asked as he walked into the kitchen and motioned vaguely at the three of them.

"Cye, check out these happy vibes. Come hug Robyn," Rowen called.

Cye just smiled at them. "I already know exactly what you're talking about."

* * *

The phenomenon, as well as the testing of it, went on for the rest of the day. Robyn quietly tolerated—even enjoyed—all the attention as each of the ronins took turns being in her space. First was the mere discovery as Rowen insisted every one of them get close to her to see if they felt the same thing. It was a unanimous consensus from all five that there was definitely something going on.

Mia was brought in for the moment as the warriors tested on her if they felt the same. Though more hugs were certainly welcome, none of them received the same warmth from the brunette that seemed to be radiating from Robyn's body that day. And a hug from Mia to Robyn confirmed that only the five warriors were experiencing this strange sensation from being near the redhead.

When the majority of the testing was finished, Robyn sat on the couch with Ryo's head blissfully in her lap. Rowen perched himself on the arm of the couch next to her, jotting down in a notebook and making a rudimentary chart.

"I'm going to keep a record of this," he informed her. "Yesterday: close proximity resulted in negative emotions, racing heart and general anxiety. Frowny face. Today: very calming when in the close vicinity, and lots of warm fuzzies upon physical contact. Happy face. You, Robyn, were very anxious yesterday and it was as if we could feel that anxiety from you. And today-"

"Today I feel fine, but 'warm fuzzies and pure sunshine'? I don't know if I feel that good. It's just relief. Kind of calm. You guys are definitely getting more from me than what I'm feeling." She glanced down at Ryo who was practically purring while she idly ran her fingers through his thick bangs. He had more color to his cheeks today and his fever seemed to be completely gone now. "Maybe a lot of it also has to do with you guys just feeling better. You've had more food and rest now, of course you're going to feel better than when we first got back home."

"No, Robyn, it's not just that. There's definitely an extra something going on. It's more like sitting next to a heater on a cold day versus just being in a warm room. Tell her, Ryo."

Without opening his eyes, he replied, "It's like laying on top of White Blaze while he's purring, but _more so_."

"Kay..." Robyn replied.

"I wish we could explain it better," Rowen said. "I wish you could feel it, too." He suddenly frowned at the realization that this was a one-sided experience.

"It's fine. I believe you. I do feel good. Being here with you guys, knowing nothing bad is coming, all of us just here together, it feels like home. I'm happy being here. I feel like I made the right decision to stay."

"Of course you did," Kento insisted as he came into the room. "Scoot over, my turn." He slipped himself in between Robyn and Rowen's arm rest. Ryo was forced to sit up to move and make room. He looked a little annoyed at that, but Kento cared not as he threw his arms around Robyn and pulled her in. "Ugh, why does this still feel amazing? When I'm not around it I want to be. What sort of witchery is this?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Rowen said as he jotted a few more things in his notebook. He leaned close to Kento, as if gauging any sort of happy vibes from him before taking a few more notes. "This has to be more than just getting some food and a good night's sleep. There must be a specific factor to triggering this phenomenon."

Robyn opened her mouth in response, decided against what she was going to suggest, and closed it again.

"Yeeees?" Rowen asked, catching her actions. "You were going to say something about that?"

She began to enter into that familiar hunched posture, despite Kento's arms around her shoulders. She would always try to fold into herself when she began to feel unconfident about what she was about to say or do.

"This is kind of dumb," she said softly, looking at her hands clenched in her lap. "But last night, when we were all done talking and everyone was asleep, I kind of prayed... or hoped—whatever you want to call it—that I could make everyone feel better. It was hard listening to you guys last night. Yes, I had a hard time, too, but I don't remember it that well. All of you remember it and I could hear it in your voices: how you're still frustrated and heart sick and just so tired. I wished I could think of some way to make you all feel better. At least, I didn't want to be the source of any of those negative feelings just because I was having a hard time, too."

"So you wished on a star to make things better," Rowen said flatly. "And now you generate sunshine and happiness with your very being."

Kento and Ryo snorted at the same time. The latter flinched, holding his aching side as he tried to suppress a few chuckles.

"I don't know, Rowen! It was just a thought."

"It's an interesting thought," Strata added and scribbled something else in his notebook.

"Either way, we appreciate it when you think of us," Ryo said softly. He leaned closely against her other side, their temples nearly touching.

The sound of Cye clearing his throat caught everyone's attention and they all suddenly noticed Torrent standing in front of them, fists on hips. "Guys, what did I say about being too touchy with her? This is starting to look a little questionable."

"Platonic touchiness, we promise," Ryo sing-songed back, grinning and not moving away.

"Maybe this is not such a selfless act as Robyn has tried to explain," Rowen ventured thoughtfully. "Maybe this is a very selfish thing to get us all to keep manhandling her all she wants."

"What?" Robyn squeaked, her face going red. "I wouldn't! That's not... that's not it at all! I'm not that kind of person!"

"No, you're not," Cye agreed. And with a sigh, he dropped onto his knees next to her and folded his arms in her lap, resting his head on top. "Might as well make the most of it while we can, I suppose."

"You're not helping," she complained, but rested her fingers in his hair. Cye made a soft noise of contentment and didn't move.

"As I said," Kento put in, "when you're not near her, you want to be. Right Sage?"

Halo, who had been skulking around the back of the couch, trying to subtly drift nearer, balked at being caught and flushed a little. "Maybe."

"You guys," Robyn sighed, face still so much redder. She suddenly wished she knew how to turn it off.

* * *

Robyn closed the back door slowly, as quietly as she could as to not make a single sound. As much as she loved being back with her friends, they were getting a little too overbearing. It was nearly impossible to get a single moment to herself. Rowen in particular kept wanting to check her "temperature" as he called it every hour. The rest just kept coming up with excuses to be close to her.

For the first little while, she enjoyed it, then she began to feel stifled. She was used to being alone. She needed a little time to think, to breathe. The second she saw an opening, Robyn took it and slipped out the back of the mansion. She thought she heard a male voice calling her name as she silently shut the door, but she wasn't about to answer it.

It seemed she had made it this far undetected. Just as she was about to turn to step off the porch, she was aware of another presence and jumped.

"Oh, White Blaze, it's just you," she sighed in relief. The tiger approached and butted his massive head against her thigh. She patted him in return. "How about it? Do I give you warm fuzzies, too?"

White Blaze just yawned and sat on his haunches, daintily scratching at an ear with his hind foot. Robyn scratched it for him, causing him to lean into her hand with a sigh of contentment. There was another voice calling from inside the house and Robyn remembered she was trying to flee and quickly scooted off the porch and made for the nearby trees. After one more glance at the house himself, White Blaze stalked down the steps to follow her.

The two wandered off into the foliage, following a worn path that wandered around the lake. It was a stark contrast to the bleak, futuristic city of Tokyo where they both had been trapped for two months. The sun was brighter, warmer; the air fresher. There was the rustle of birds in the bushes and Robyn caught herself panicking as if she expected to be hunted. No unnatural monsters skulked the woods here, she was safe. It was a relief to feel so safe. So many people in this world took that simple feeling for granted.

Thinking of the future Tokyo reminded her of her selective amnesia. It reminded her of a world where she had no recollection of the amazing people she had in her life. It was a terrifying existence to have no one, demons or no, and she was so grateful the ronins came for her, despite how smothering they had been lately. Now she was back with them, back where she belonged. And though she was safe, a new kind of panic began to form as she took a moment to let the weight of her reality truly set in.

Her decision to suddenly stay in Japan meant she had just abandoned everything she owned. It was all just gone, left far across the sea. She now had nothing to her name. Everything she had worked hard for over the past year: her job, her apartment, furniture, clothes, friends. She gave them all up without a thought. Granted, she hadn't been allowed much time to make the decision, but now the panic was setting in; that fear that comes from hasty choices, whether they are the right choice or not. What if her important documents got lost in the mail? What if she was never able to access her bank account from here?

"What about my cat!" she suddenly exclaimed out loud into the woodlands around her. White Blaze looked up curiously from sniffing the bushes. Her hands went into her hair as a new kind of anxiety set in. The apartment had been ransacked when Natalia was kidnapped. The cat may have ran away. She had abandoned everything and left it a whole continent away.

The self doubt began to take over.

* * *

"Arg! I'm done!" Kento's voice echoed through the silent mansion. Cye looked up from where he sat on the couch in the main area as Kento came in from one of the other rooms. "My eyes are done, my back is done. My brain is done! No more homework today!"

"The more you do now, the sooner you'll be finished with all of it," Torrent said.

"I know, I'm trying, but I just can't do anything else right now. I need a break." He cracked his spine and then stretched his arms over his head. "I need some fresh air."

Cye went back to typing on his laptop. "See if you can find Robyn while you're out there. I don't think she's in the house."

"Eh, where ever she is, she's fine," Kento said as he walked toward the kitchen where the back door was. "This place is the safest place we've been for the past several months-slash-four days."

Cye smirked a little as he heard the back door shut. But then it quickly opened again.

"I need a laptop!" Robyn announced into the house.

"You can use mine in a minute," Cye called from the living room. He heard her enter a moment later as he tapped away on the keyboard. "Just a few more things I need to get down." After a while, he became aware that Robyn was pacing around the room in agitation while she waited. "You okay?"

She gave out a worried laugh as she continued to pace. "Just having a bit of a personal crisis. It suddenly hit me how I left everything I own—nearly my entire life—in another country and I didn't go back to clean up my mess." She worried around some more, running fingers through her unruly hair. "It's all just sitting there and I abandoned it! I left Natalia to deal with all my stuff, all my problems. I'm a bad person."

"You are not a bad person," Cye said patiently as he watched her stalk back and forth.

She covered her face in her hands. "I feel I made such a rash decision. I wish I had more time to think about it. Even though I know I would have made the same choice." She lowered her hands and looked at Cye. "I want to be here, with you guys."

He smiled at her. "For the record, I'm glad you stayed. I think the others feel the same way."

She managed a weak smile, though the trepidation was still palpable.

He tipped the laptop toward her. "Still need this?"

"Yes! Oh my gosh, yes, I need this." Robyn quickly plopped herself next to him. "I want to check in with Natalia. I think I'm going to be a wreck until I get all the important stuff squared away. Oh man, I need to get a job soon!"

Cye placed his hand on her shoulder. "It will be fine. Take a moment to breathe. We've all had our lives uprooted and stopped in their tracks. I know yours was a little more extreme than ours, but we're all going through it. And we're all going to take it one step at a time. Step one is that we're all still recovering from everything we've been through. It's time to allow ourselves to heal before jumping into the real world. Don't put so much pressure on yourself right now. Step two is finish school work. Worry about wrapping up the semester and then I give you permission to think about jobs and everything else."

Robyn inhaled and let out a deep breath through her mouth. She looked at the thick bandage that still adorned Cye's arm. They had all been through a lot, but Robyn had never adhered to the concept of rest after difficult days. Her world never left room for it. When something bad happened, when something suddenly uprooted her, she had to carry on the next day if she wanted to survive. That's what she was used to. Resting and waiting was... stressful.

Taking the laptop from him, Robyn dove right into a somewhat panicky e-mail to Natalia about the current situation of all her worldly possessions—including the apartment they rented—and what should be done about it all. It drove her nuts that she couldn't just text her ex roommate about these things and receive a quick reply. Even if she had her phone, she wasn't sure if either of their plans covered texting to and from Japan. She would just have to send the e-mail and wait for a response.

Robyn was in the middle of her e-mail, trying to make sure she covered every pertinent topic, when Rowen draped himself over the couch behind her. He wrapped his arms around her neck, face next to hers. Then he pulled back with a frown. "What's going on? It's not there any more. The warm fuzzies are gone. Robyn, what are you doing?"

"Gotta e-mail Natalia," she replied, not looking up from her furious typing.

"You just e-mailed her this morning."

"But I wasn't thinking this morning. I have so much crap I just dumped on her and we haven't talked about what she's going to do with the apartment, or all my things, or what happened to my cat. There's so much stuff I have to talk to her about. I just let her go home alone and deal with everything by herself."

Rowen looked thoughtful and then referred to his notebook. "4:15 PM: Warm fuzzies gone. Subject having anxiety; probably from talking to Cye."

"This is not my fault," Torrent insisted. "I've been trying to calm her down."

"Clearly, you are terrible at it."

Robyn gasped with comic exaggeration. "Cye is amazing! You shut your lying noise hole, Rowen!"

Rowen just returned to his notes. "Possible solution to get back the warm fuzzies: must return subject to a more relaxed state."

"Not gonna happen until I get all my stuff figured out," Robyn insisted. "I made a very hasty decision yesterday and now all the consequences are piling on top of me."

"Just keep reminding yourself that you're not here alone," Cye offered. "We're all supporting you. We all want you here."

"Not that you should have left in the first place," Rowen added.

Cye slapped his arm, making Strata jump away from the couch. "What Rowen means is that there's always been a place for you here with us. And there always will be. Whatever you need, we'll help you do it, okay?"

Robyn smiled. "Thanks. That makes me feel a little better."

* * *

Mia came home from work later that afternoon, putting in a short half day before the weekend. Apparently, it was a Friday. Everyone else at the mansion was still trying to get their mental calendars back in order. Upon returning home and finding everyone still camping out inside, she announced brightly that she wanted to see the armor's powers in action. Most agreed to the distraction willingly, eager to take a break from school work.

It was nice to step out in the afternoon sun and stretch sore backs and cramped fingers. Though still early spring, the heat of summer was already headed their way. Robyn, who was perpetually on the chilly side, was the only one who felt she needed a jacket to fend off the slight breeze.

Currently, Kento was taking his turn, giving Mia a small demonstration of what he could do—far away from the yard and the flower beds, of course. Mia watched with rapt attention as he created small, but deep fissures in the ground and then closed them up again. He built up a tower of dirt and then pushed it flat once more.

Then, since they were very close to the edge of the lake, Cye sprayed him and Mia with a bit of water.

"Hey, show off!" Kento barked as he and Mia both jumped at the icy splatter. The lake certainly wasn't feeling the warmth of the incoming summer yet.

"Mia said she wanted a demonstration, I was just demonstrating," Torrent insisted with a playful quirk of his mouth.

Kento made a quick gesture and Cye's feet sank into the ground up to his ankles. He squawked with surprise and fell backwards onto his butt. Mia ran for him, but did not check on his welfare as Cye first assumed. She was more enthralled with the dirt, marveling at how seamlessly Cye's feet were now a part of the ground.

"How did you do that, Kento? Did you make the dirt turn into quicksand?"

Hardrock took a moment to consider the question. "I don't... think so. It's more like I just asked it to be loose and then I packed it back together."

"In the blink of an eye," Mia marveled. "No sure kills to call out, just a quick motion of your hand. And Cye didn't make any motions that I saw."

"I did a little," Torrent admitted. "Maybe we can control the elements without moving our bodies, but it just makes it feel easier when we do."

"Like how you always jerk up the game controller when you make your character jump," Kento teased.

"He does do that," Mia remembered with a giggle.

Cye grinned back, being a good sport. "Yes, well, you do what you can. Care to let me go, Kento?"

As Hardrock released his teammate from the earth, Sage observed from where the rest of them stood in the yard. "We give Mia enough leeway with this and she's going to reduce us all to science specimens. We'll be running tests and trials with our powers for her in no time."

"She's not the only one," Robyn said with a glance to Rowen.

"Nothing wrong with having a curious mind and wanting to understand how something works," Strata defended. He then suddenly glanced at Ryo. "Speaking of which, I never got to see your bullet holes. Show me."

"Oh! I wanna see them, too," Kento called as he heard the last of the conversation. He and Cye both eagerly approached as Ryo lifted his shirt to show off his new battle scars. All the ronins' inner ten-year-olds groaned and oohed at the carnage and Ryo was proud to show them how the bullet came in one side and left out the other. None of them had seen bullet wounds before. None of them really considered the idea that one could live through them if one was ever shot.

"They still look a lot better than they did when we first got home," Sage insisted.

"Feel better, too," Ryo added as he pulled his shirt back down. "A couple more days of healing boosts and I'll be up for sparring with our new abilities."

"Oh, man!" Kento exclaimed, suddenly excited. "I didn't even think about that! We get to find out who's the best at our powers. I'm gonna beat all your butts."

Cye groaned.

"Only you would get this excited about fighting after we nearly died fighting just a few days ago," Sage said.

"Come on, you like it," Kento said, ribbing Halo in the side with his elbow. "You're the only one of us who fights for sport. You know as well as I do it's fun when we're not worried the world's going to end and everyone's gonna die."

The corner of Halo's mouth ticked up just a smidge. "Yeah, and we'll see who beats who's butt."

"Yeah! That's the spirit!" He clapped his taller friend on the back.

"Okay, then, you're up Sage," Mia said, eyes still sparkling with excitement. "Show me what you can do."

* * *

The lively conversation of the new armor powers, constantly stoked by Mia's questions and enthusiasm, stretched long into dinner conversation. All five warriors were right on board with her. It really was fun to take a moment to talk about this new development in the armors without the weight of the world's fate bearing down on them. It was nice to be able to have a moment to appreciate the amazing new powers they had and even lament over what had been lost to gain them.

"I am really missing our subarmors though," Rowen said. "We all could have used that extra protection in the last fight. I feel very exposed without it."

"Tell me about it," Ryo chuffed.

"Yeah, man," Kento chimed in. "I swear Hardrock deflected a bullet when we were in New York." He made the sound effect of a ricocheting bullet. "Too bad we aren't allowed to at least manifest the subarmor when they got to keep the big stuff in Falnan."

"Well, the subarmor, is part of the main armor, isn't it," Cye reasoned. "If the armor is sealed away, the subarmor is going with it."

"But if you're able to tap into the armor's power, why not be able to at least 'borrow' the subarmor when you need it?" Mia mused. "Perhaps there's still a way to call it, you just need to learn how."

"Well, the warlords didn't seem to know how and they had been living with the sealed armors for hundreds of years," Sage pointed out. "So it might be safe to assume it's impossible."

"Never hurts to try," Ryo said.

Sage smiled at him. "I knew you would say that."

Ryo shrugged. It was his nature to never give up and accept his fate without trying.

"Robyn," Cye cut in, gazing across the table at the redhead. "Are you feeling okay? You're not eating."

The redhead glanced up from where she had been absently stirring her food, but didn't stop what she was doing. "Just feeling a little stressed. I'm not very hungry." With the somber silence that followed she insisted, "I'll be fine. I'm not starving myself. Don't worry about it. I've eaten all day, I'm just not hungry right now." She added a little smile toward the table. "As you said before, we're all together, it's going to be okay. I just need some time to get my situation figured out. And it's going to be a little stressful for a while."

"You do know you can always go back," Mia offered. "There's still a ticket in your name."

Robyn dropped her chopsticks and covered her face. She didn't want to hear that. She didn't want to hear that after she had been agonizing about her decision that she could just pack up and leave at any time and all this would be over. At the moment, her biggest fear was that if she took the easy way out and returned to the states, she would never manage to get back to Japan again. There was something terrifying about that thought and she just couldn't handle it anymore.

"Excuse me," she said as she quickly left the table and retreated back outside.

* * *

Everyone tried to leave her alone that night as Robyn seemed to want her space. There was no more talk about going back to the states or all the overwhelming things that needed to be taken care of.

Upon getting ready for bed, Cye found Robyn already in the bathroom, brushing her teeth as he reached for the toothpaste himself. She regarded his entrance with a raised brow, as if worried of what he was going to say to her while her mouth was too full of foamy paste to talk back. Cye could feel the stress leaking from her. Earlier, when Rowen complained about the lack of good vibes coming from the redhead, Robyn had merely felt neutral. Now, it was slowly returning to how it was before. Cye could feel her anxiety seeping into him, making his heart jump. It was a horrible feeling.

"I'll use your ticket," Cye announced to the bathroom. "I will go back to Oregon. I will take care of whatever you need me to, and then I will come home. You don't have to leave."

Robyn's hand paused and she stared at his reflection in the mirror. She bent down to spit and rinse, leaving her damp toothbrush on the counter. "I will... keep that in mind," she said carefully.

Satisfied, Cye took his turn at the counter, brushing his teeth. Robyn hadn't left yet, but he didn't really notice that as an odd thing. Not until she hugged him from behind.

"Thank you for offering," she said against his back. "Just knowing that's an option makes me feel so much better."

Cye couldn't respond with a mouth full of paste, so he just continued brushing. Robyn continued holding him. And that cloying anxiety slowly melted away into something neutral again. Then, the warmth and calm from that morning returned and Cye was content to have her near him for as long as she would stay. She let him go when he bent to spit and rinse and backed up when he moved to leave the bathroom.

"Anything else I can do for you?"

Robyn looked thoughtful; nearly seemed as though she had another task for him, but then shook her head. "You have done so much already. I think I'm good for right now."

He quirked a smile at her. "Alright. Good night then."

She remained in the hall watching him as he retired to his bedroom and shut the door behind him. "Good night, Cye."

* * *

The nightmare came for him, as it sometimes came for all of them when they were least expecting it. Even long after the fight was over and everyone was safe. Even if they had been safe and calm for several days, it would still find them like some random happenstance.

The fever was the part Rowen hated the most. It got in his veins, made his heated muscles restless and achy. It messed with his head, breaking the synapses like corrupted files as it replayed past memories to him incorrectly.

Blood. There was so much more blood than he remembered. It dripped heavily from her lifeless body as she was suspended by her wrists far too high for him to reach her. He cut her down with an arrow, the body heavy and feeling boneless as he caught it in his arms. Suddenly he was pounding her chest, frantic as her heart stopped beating.

Rowen's body jerked in his sleep even though his subconscious knew she was still alive and all this was over. In his dream, the wounds were worse, the body just one big open sore that devoured the whole torse. As he palpitated her chest, trying to force her to breathe, blood would splash back into his face.

"Don't die on me!" he screamed. "Come on! Robyn!"

In the back corners of his dream, something stalked the halls outside his bedroom and he felt the presence as keenly as if he could see it. Someone wandered soundlessly into his room.

Blood splattered his face again and Rowen was instantly on a rooftop, surrounded by squat demons, their arms blades larger than a thing their size should have been able to hold. A female form in a cloak stood nearby and Rowen saw her just in time to witness one of the creatures slash deep into the face of her hood. Unnatural amounts of blood gushed from inside.

 _Suzu!_ Rowen ran for her as the body fell. He reached the prone form, turning it toward him to look in the hood. All that remained of the face was an open, festering slash of bleeding flesh.

Rowen sat up with a gasp, eyes popping open right as Robyn jumped back from his sudden movement. She looked as though she was reaching down to touch him before he jerked upright. The two stared at each other, made visible by the light of the full moon shining through the window. All was bathed in a blue filter, devoid of its true color.

Robyn's voice came as barely a whisper, aware there was one more sleeping body in the room. "Are you-"

Rowen grabbed her wrist and jerked her to him, cradling the back of her head with his other hand as he pulled her close. Robyn didn't fight him as they fell back into the bed. He was hot and sweaty from his fever, trembling. His heart still pounded from his dreams. She slid under the covers with him, one arm draped loosely over his side. She silently hoped those good vibes the guys kept talking about were working now as she pressed her forehead to his collarbone and they both fell asleep.

* * *

Though a Saturday, Mia still found herself getting up early. Sometimes it felt like her internal clock was in competition with Sage. If he was up, it insisted she get up. When the house was empty it was so much easier for her to sleep in on the weekend. But, since she was up, Mia padded into the kitchen in a robe and slippers and set to work heating both coffee and tea for the household. She only managed to beat Sage into the kitchen because he always took time to make himself look more presentable while Mia had no qualms wandering around in the morning in her pjs.

As usual, Halo had little to say if there was no need to exchange important information. He only engaged in small talk when necessary in social situations with people he did not know well. As Mia's place was practically a second home, he did not feel the need to engage on the type of good morning banter he found to be pointless and trivial. Mia understood this and was just as content to sit in his silent company while she sipped her coffee and booted up her laptop to check the usual news feeds and social media.

The two sat companionably for a good half hour before Cye came in. "Robyn's not in her room," was the first thing out of his mouth.

"She's up sleeping with Rowen," Sage responded from the lip of his cup. When Cye's brows furrowed in suspicion he continued to explain. "He was tossing all night, probably having fever dreams. I was about to get up when she came in to check on him. They both fell asleep soon after."

"Why was she wandering around upstairs in the middle of the night?" was Cye's next question. The room she was using was downstairs. Only the ronins were using the upstairs bedrooms. There was no reason for her to be up there, even to go to the bathroom. There was one of those downstairs, too.

Sage just shrugged. "That you will have to ask of her."

Mia watched with amusement as Cye poured himself some coffee and joined them at the table, his focus clearly on the conversation they just had.

"You're kind of a mother hen when it comes to Robyn, aren't you?" she said with amusement.

Cye just raised a brow at her as he sipped his coffee.

"Yes, he is," Sage answered for him. "It's how he shows he cares."

"Anything wrong with that?" Torrent challenged in a mild voice.

"No."

"Do you mind if I ask, is this a brotherly love or more a romantic thing?" Mia boldly wondered.

Cye set his mug down on the table, giving serious thought to the question as he stirred his coffee. Out of the two options, neither seemed to properly define how he felt. Certainly there were far more types of love out there than just those two. "Somewhere in the middle, I suppose."

They all looked up when Kento came in and the conversation was dropped. Hardrock grunted a good morning to the room in general before bypassing all hot drinks and immediately rooting around for the rice cooker.

"Making breakfast this morning?" Sage asked curiously. That was definitely not Kento's normal behavior.

"Nah, Robyn said she is. Said she told Cye she would. Asked me to pull out a few things because she doesn't know her way around the kitchen. She'll be down in a bit."

True to her word, Robyn came down a few moments later, thanking Kento who was already preparing the rice. Cye shook his head at both of them. It was like pulling teeth to get Kento to be of any help in the kitchen, despite the fact that he was the only one who actually worked in a kitchen. Robyn asks him once to just pull stuff out and he just keeps on going.

"How's Rowen?" Sage asked without glancing behind him to look at her.

"Still sleeping. His fever's gone, though. Maybe it was just a one-night thing."

"He had fever dreams?" Kento asked. "That's pretty typical. We all get them after a fight."

"Even this long after?" Robyn asked as she cracked some eggs in a pan. "He looked fine yesterday."

"I dunno, it's not like he got sick. It's like an armor thing..." his voice drifted off as he shrugged.

"We think it's just a combination of bad dreams and the armors reacting to our sleep distress," Sage offered. "Using the armors always taxes our bodies and they give out when they give out, hence the fever."

"Ryo always got them the most," Kento added. "Remember when the Inferno armor popped up and we thought Talpa was beat the first time? Ryo had fever dreams nearly every night for a week."

"And some even after," Sage recalled. "The rest of us just had them once or twice."

"What were you doing upstairs last night anyway?" Cye asked, breaking the flow of conversation.

"Rowen called me," Robyn responded. She had pulled out what remained of the fruit by now and was slicing it while the rice and eggs cooked. Mia would have to go to the store soon. Robyn wished there was a way to at least pitch in some money for food.

"I assure you, he did not," Sage said with another sip of his tea. "I was awake, listening to him toss and turn."

Robyn paused. "Huh. I guess I dreamed that. I was still half asleep, but I got up thinking I had to check on everyone and I just ended up at Rowen's bedside. It felt kind of like a dream itself until I woke up to Rowen snoring in my ear."

"You can join me in bed tomorrow night," Kento quirked.

He earned a slap in the side by the back of Cye's hand, then a kiss on the forehead from Robyn as she moved about the kitchen. "If your nightmares are scary, Kento, you can slide into bed with me. I'll protect you."

"What? No, I'm not a chicken or anything. I was just saying..."

Both Mia and Sage chuckled at Hardrock as he pouted.

* * *

After breakfast, Robyn made an attempt to actually dress herself, as opposed to yesterday where she bummed around in a worn t-shirt and sweat pants. Her attempts to get into an old pair of jeans from high school, however, weren't going well.

Sure, she had lost a little weight during her two months in future Tokyo, but it still put her nowhere near the weight she was at in high school. She had been a very unhealthy weight, nearly just skin and bones. Robyn's return to the states had her gaining more than just the cliched "freshman fifteen". She had filled out quite a bit and was now having a very hard time fitting into these stupid old jeans.

Sucking in her gut the best she could, she held her breath as she managed to fasten the button and zip the fly. Oh, it was a tight fit. She tried bending at the knees in hopes to stretch the fabric a bit, but the pants had little give. It was already pinching at her stomach. Maybe she could last for at least part of the day.

Robyn stepped out of the bedroom and immediately passed the long mirror in the hall, glancing at herself. Yikes, no. These pants clearly were no longer her size. She turned to retreat back to her room, but Mia had caught her before she could hide her shame.

"Oh dear, those don't fit at all any more, do they?"

"Yeah, I guess not. I just grabbed all the clothes Cye had at his house. I didn't think to try them on."

Mia motioned her to follow. "Let's see what I have that you can borrow."

A look through Mia's wardrobe found some jeans that were too long and high-waisted for Robyn. Mia then suggested skirts instead, to which Robyn hesitated. She wasn't opposed to skirts, but there was still a chilly breeze out and she didn't find having to sit properly in a skirt all that comfortable for just laying around the house.

"I've got some leggings," Mia then offered.

"Sold." Not her first choice of clothes, but it would have to do until she could access her bank account and buy her own clothes.

As Robyn shimmied into some gray leggings under a blue skirt, Mia said, "We've never really talked much, have we? We've only met once or twice though we have a few things in common."

"You mean certain five specific things?" Robyn smirked as she smoothed the skirt down.

Mia smiled. "Yes. And they're very important to both of us. I hope you and I can get to know each other better and become friends."

"I would be okay with that. Sometimes it's a little overwhelming being surrounded by guys."

"I know what you mean," Mia said with a laugh. "Though I'm glad they have someone else to help support them, someone who is also aware of their armors; aware of how difficult their lives have been."

"I doubt I will fully understand how difficult it was when they were kids. You were a kid too back then, weren't you? And no one had any idea what you were doing."

Mia gave her a knowing look. "I'm sure for you it's not a far reach to imagine what that's like."

Robyn glanced away, catching herself in Mia's large bedroom mirror. "Probably not."

Mia moved to stand behind her, two woman looking at their reflections. She touched Robyn's stringy hair. "This has seen better days. Maybe we can trim it so the ends don't look so sad." An idea suddenly struck her, and because she was eager to create a friendship with this girl she added, "Have you ever thought of getting some loose curls put in? That would look gorgeous. It would give you some nice volume."

"Yeah, I've curled it before, when I have time before school. It looks pretty good. Unfortunately, my hair holds a curl for maybe two hours and then it's gone."

"I think I still have a home perm kit in the closet that I never used. We should try it."

Robyn looked hesitant at the offer.

"Oh, come on," Mia urged with a wink. "Do you have somewhere else important you have to be today?"

Robyn laughed. No, she didn't. She was stuck at this house for days. Might as well find something to occupy her time.

* * *

After such a rough night, it was well after noon before Rowen showed his face to the rest of the house. Just in time for lunch. After eating, the girls said they were going to try something with Robyn's hair. The guys ended up wandering outside as a group to enjoy the sunshine. They meandered around the lake as if drawn to it, idly asking each other how their school work was going and who had what left to do to complete the semester.

There was an underlying sense of restlessness about them as they pretended there wasn't. Though they had lost the physical armors, they still felt the current of that mystical power surging through them. It was different than it was before, but it was still the same power. It seemed to urge them to test it, to know it better, to become one with it. But the urge would have to wait. Cye's arm and Ryo's side were still on the mend. Once their team was completely healthy, then they would put in some sparring practice to test their abilities. In the meantime, they would just have to settle for being out and about as a team.

As they talked casually, the group noted Rowen was uncharacteristically silent that day. Usually, his chatty nature drove most of the conversations. But today, Rowen held back, keeping to himself. Often, a silent Rowen was a plotting Rowen. However, he also had a very specific 'plotting face' which was nowhere to be found that day. Instead, he was more thoughtful and would often pause in their walks to gaze at the sunshine glittering off the lake, hands in his pockets.

"So... had fever dreams last night, huh?" Kento asked to try to bring Strata back to the group conversation.

Rowen glanced at him and they started walking again. "Yeah, they were pretty bad. Soaked my clothes and my sheets with sweat."

"But Robyn slept with you anyway."

Kento expected that comment to elicit some sort of smug remark from his friend, but Rowen just shrugged.

"Robyn said she went upstairs to check on you because you called for her," Sage said.

Rowen looked surprised. "Did I? In my sleep?"

"No."

Strata's brows furrowed. He was quiet for a moment and then said, "I dreamed about her last night. I saw her body, covered in blood and strung up from the ceiling of that castle. I will never forget that as long as I live." A grunt of agreement came from Cye at the other end of the group. "Then I woke up and she was standing in front of me, perfectly okay and everything was better. And I just fell asleep again. I guess she worked that good-vibes voodoo on me."

"If it even comes from her," Sage mused. "I'm not entirely convinced."

"It's not coming from Mia or any of us," Ryo said. "We all tested it. It only happens when we're near Robyn, so why wouldn't it be coming from her?"

"I'm not saying she isn't the cause, I'm saying she possibly isn't the source. That it has less to do with her and more to do with something in the armors and our connection to their power. Yes, this phenomenon seems to fluctuate with Robyn's moods, but she said herself they aren't quite on par with how she feels. And each time it goes up and down, the intensity is less and less. It feels like something is trying to calibrate itself; trying to find that steady neutral.

"That sensation we have experienced before: when we first encountered the Inferno armor. We felt our armors try to recalibrate from using Inferno. We were all drawn back to our elements to recharge and find our center."

"Yeah, and then you, Cye and I got captured by the Dynasty," Kento reminded. "I don't know if that was a good thing."

Sage merely shrugged. "It was just what happened. But we learned more about our armors from doing that, didn't we?"

The silence that passed through the group was one of agreement. Then Rowen spoke up.

"That doesn't mean Robyn isn't involved in the power now. She _died_ , Sage. Robyn didn't almost die, she did die. We were all there, we saw it. And we've had people die around us before: Anubis, Luna. But for some reason, the armors chose to save her life when they have never done that before. In fact, it was the last thing they did before they were sealed away.

"They used their power to bring her back. There's no way you can say she doesn't have some connection to the armors—to us—and that's not even going into the whole priestess bullshit we had to slog through."

"I don't think I have ever agreed with Rowen more," Cye put in.

"And I'm going to throw something else out there," Kento piped up. "When I was near Suzu, I would get that calming feeling, like everything would be okay. It felt a lot like Robyn's deal."

Sage frowned at that. His suspicious nature had equated Suzu's calming vibe to that of a predator trying to lull their prey into a false sense of security before striking. However, the mysterious woman had not done anything else but try to help and protect them the entire time they were in future Tokyo and Sage felt a bit of guilt for judging her as he did.

"Maybe she was someone else the armors have saved?" Cye wondered. "And if that sensation comes from our armors and not from her, as Sage suggests, maybe it was the armors trying to convince us we could trust her."

"Then what are the armors trying to tell us now?" Ryo said. By now the group had looped around the lake and were nearing the house. "We already trust Robyn."

"I think it's her, I don't think it's the armors," Rowen said.

"Does it really matter?" Kento countered as they trooped up the back porch and in through the door. "Is thinking too hard about this going to help anyone?"

Any reply the others had to that was distracted from the sound of agitated female voices coming from the downstairs bathroom.

"You can't rinse it out," Mia's authoritative voice was heard. "It hasn't been in there nearly long enough."

"It's burning!" Robyn barked back. "I can't keep it in."

Cye and Ryo were the first ones to poke their heads in just in time to see Mia running a cloth under the sink. Robyn sat on the tub, a towel around her shoulders and her hair all pulled up in fat curlers.

"Tell me where it's burning, I'll try to wipe the scalp."

"Everywhere!" Robyn shot back. "I don't think this is good. I'm going to rinse it out." She knelt in front of the tub, turning on the water.

Mia looked like she wanted to stop her, but then conceded defeat. "Here, let me help. Maybe if we just do it a little you can still leave it in for a while." She tried to just lightly rinse little handfuls of water over the scalp, but then one of the rollers fell loose and clinked into the tub. Mia pulled back with a wad of red hair clumped in her hand, an acute look of fear on her face.

Sage, who had taken a turn to peer into the make-shift beauty parlor, gasped at the hair horror.

"Rinse!" Mia said with urgency. "Rinse it all!"

"Why, what happened?"

She shoved Robyn's head under the faucet. "Rinse it all out!"

There was a bit of domestic drama in the house after that. Robyn yelled at Mia a good amount while she apologized profusely. Then the redhead fled to the upstairs bathroom to pout and assess the damage by herself. She came down about an hour later, a towel wrapped around her head.

Kento noticed her coming down the stairs as he glanced away from the TV. "Well, what's the damage, Rob?"

With a sad frown, she yanked the towel off her head, allowing the damp, red hair to fall around her shoulders. It was a bit of a mess. Some parts were curled quite nicely, while others were only partially curled or not at all.

"It's hideous," she informed them.

Rowen danced up to her and grabbed a curl to pull it straight and then let it bounce back with a "Boi-oi-oing."

Robyn moaned and held her face in her hands. Cye kindly rescued her by pushing the offending Strata away and then kindly allowed her to hide in his chest while he patted her back.

"It will be okay," he soothed.

"It's ruined," she bemoaned into his shirt with a muffled voice. "It will be a long time until it looks okay. I will have to shave it all off and wait until it grows back."

Cye couldn't help but chuckle.

She pulled back and frowned at him. "I'm glad my pain brings you such joy."

He smoothed her damaged hair from her face with an endearing smile. "Believe me, if this was the worst that ever happened to you, I would be extremely happy."


	4. Chapter 4: The Armor of Strength

**.**

 **The Knight and the Princes**

 **Chapter Four: The Armor of Strength**

Ryo stood against a surreal background, both eerie and beautiful. Ankle deep in water, he was surrounded by lilies pale as bone. Above him hovered the multiple moons of the Dynasty in a yellow, starry sky. Far in the distance loomed the sharp silhouette of Talpa's castle. Ryo recalled the time he had been here as a teenager, years ago when he and Rowen had entered the Nether Realm to rescue their teammates. It had baffled him how a being of such destruction could have his stronghold in such a beautiful place.

But this time, there were figures standing between him and Talpa's island city. The familiar silhouettes of the five elemental armors lined up before him, empty face masks dark and dormant. The still waters reflected the landscape like glass. A mirror image of the armors, the sharp castle rising behind them barely rippled in the water.

Then, Ryo felt her before he saw her; dainty bare feet taking one silent step at a time. She walked on top of the water while Ryo sank in it over his ankles. A white gown, fine and delicate, trailed behind, never getting wet. Her red hair flowed in a nonexistent breeze as Robyn stepped before the line of armors. As she passed them she brushed her hand against their shining metal, leaving a residue of blood over Torrent, over Strata, across the chest of Halo and along Hardrock. The more armors she touched, the more her white dress was marred in red. Bloody hand prints dragged down her skirt as her fingers traced over the armor of Wildfire, dripping blood down its chest.

The white inferno armor suddenly stood before him, face mask black and empty. It, too, was dripped all over in hot, sticky red.

Ryo's eyes popped open with a quick inhale of breath. He sat up carefully in bed, his side now only mildly complaining about the wound. His collar was a bit damp with sweat, but not too terrible. He certainly had worse fever dreams than that. Though this one left him with an odd feeling. Most of his dreams highlighted his fear and pain from past battles. This was different, almost prophetic by its nature.

He sat in bed for a while, meditating on his dream. Finally, he stood and walked over to the window, pulling up the shades to let in the light. Outside, his room treated him to a back view of the property and the lake. There was a redheaded form slowly walking toward the shore, still dressed in the shorts and t-shirt she went to bed with.

The way she moved and what she was wearing concerned Ryo and he hurried downstairs, hastily shoving his bare feet into a pair of sneakers before running out the back door. He crossed the backyard at a jog, one had at his side.

The water rose up and drew back from Robyn's bare feet as she stepped into it up to her calves. There, she merely stood, watching the wilderness around her as Ryo ran up, his sneakers splashing in the water.

"Robyn."

She didn't respond, her gaze transfixed on the lake and the trees.

"Robyn? Hey." He put an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Though she wasn't moving at the moment, he worried she would try to walk further into the lake.

When he shook her a little, she snapped back to reality, first staring wide-eyed at Ryo and then suddenly gasping breathlessly. "Hoah! Cold! S...so cold..." She jerked out of the frigid water, pulling Ryo with her. There she raised her sandy feet off the beach one at a time, attempting to rub and warm them against her calves. "What happened?"

"You tell me," Ryo insisted. "I looked outside my window and there you were walking toward the lake in your pajamas."

Robyn instantly crossed one arm over her chest when she realized she was not wearing a bra. "Was I sleepwalking?"

"I don't know, I've never seen anyone sleepwalk before. Do you sleepwalk?"

"N...no. Not that I know of." She continued to shiver.

Ryo put an arm around her shoulder, guiding her toward the house. "Let's get you inside. We'll figure it out later."

They turned from the beach and Robyn paused when they reached the patch of weeds and brambles needed to cross to get to the yard and she hesitated to brave it in her bare feet. There was a smooth path further down by the dock and Robyn paused to weigh her options.

"Here, I've got it," Ryo offered as he effortlessly picked her up.

"Careful! Your side!" Robyn's face flushed a little.

"It's fine, I'm holding most of your weight with my good side." And before Robyn could come up with other protests, Ryo quickly took a few large steps to get them through their obstacle and then set Robyn down in the backyard. The grass wasn't much warmer than the damp sand of the beach, so Robyn hurried the rest of the way up the stairs and into the house.

"Cold, cold, cold," she chanted as she pranced through the kitchen.

"Hey!" Cye called as she passed him. "What are you doing outside in your pajamas? And where are your shoes?"

* * *

The strange incident was covered further when breakfast was ready and everyone gathered at the table. Though no one could make sense of it. Robyn herself had no explanation and just kept shrugging at all questions.

"Maybe it was sleepwalking. I'm not sure, I've never experienced it before. I just remember feeling very calm before Ryo grabbed me. I was drawn toward the lake, the sunlight, the water. It was nice until I realized how cold the water was."

"I was worried you were going to drown yourself," Ryo admitted after chewing and swallowing.

Robyn furrowed her brows. "I don't think I was going to go in any deeper, I just wanted to be in nature, I guess." She shrugged in nonchalance. "Guess I missed being outside."

"Being outside with proper sun," Sage approved with a nod. "That future Tokyo, even being outside was grim, like the sunshine was filtered through a gray screen."

"Anyway, it's over now," Kento said. "No one got hurt and I doubt Rob's gonna go running back into the water as soon as she falls asleep again, right?"

The redhead laughed. "I'll sure try not to."

* * *

Shortly after breakfast, Robyn checked her e-mail to find her old roommate had replied. The two even managed to catch each other on Skype and Natalia assured her multiple times that everything was taken care of back in Oregon. She had filed the apartment damage with the police as a break in and the landlord was going to let her out of the lease because of it. Natalia planned on moving in with her boyfriend and was already packing. The cat had been found by one of the neighbors in their absence and Natalia said he still had a good home with her.

The two went over several items of Robyn's personal property and Natalia said she would pack another box and ship it her way. Only the bare minimum. The rest, including all furniture, would be sold to pay for Robyn's share of what rent was left and for shipping costs. After the conversation, Robyn felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders. Everything felt like it was going to be okay.

"You take care of yourself over there," Natalia said as they were wrapping up the conversation. "I'll have this whole place packed up by the end of next week so if you can think of anything you need that we forgot, let me know before then."

"Will do, thanks, Nat. You have been so awesome."

The blonde smiled at her through the screen. "And take care of those weirdos over there, too. They're pretty special, right?"

Robyn beamed. "Yeah, they are."

The girls said their good-byes to each other and Robyn sat for a while, ruminating at the computer screen. She wondered what it was like to be Natalia, to be flung into such an unbelievable world so quickly as she had been and then to step so easily out of it and leave it behind. Natalia now knew of other worlds and of the ronins, their armors and their powers. She met these amazing people and then just said good-bye and walked away. How could anyone do that after meeting these guys?

But then, Robyn reminded herself, she had done that, too, hadn't she?

* * *

Later that day, after a few good hours of homework and lunch, the entire group decided to spend some time in the sun and found themselves back by the lake, this time sitting around on the docks, listening to the lap of the water and enjoying each other's company.

Cye began fiddling with the water soon after they had situated themselves. Admittedly, he had the least amount of training and practice out of the five of them. It made him impatient to start working on honing his skills. So he took some time to dazzle Mia and Robyn with a few simple tricks, making small rivulets of water leap about the lake. It was a far stretch from using Torrent's power in battle, but practice was practice.

A fish broke the water's surface nearby and Robyn gasped and pointed it out. Cye snapped onto it like a frog's tongue to a fly. With long, sweeping motions of his arms, he pulled a fat bubble of water from the lake, a confused fish swimming around in the middle. There was moderate applause. Mia reached over the dock to touch the water.

Rowen knelt next to her, rolling up his sleeve. "I'm gonna grab the fish."

"No you're not," Cye insisted, letting water and fish drop back into the lake.

There was more laughter from the group.

"I wasn't going to hurt it," Rowen insisted.

"Sit," Sage urged, pulling him back down.

There was a moment of silence around the group.

"Feels good out here," Kento said after a moment. He currently laid on his back, hands folded behind his head and watching the clouds above him. "It feels like... something's been calling me to come out here all day. Robyn's creepy sleepwalking had the right idea."

Robyn, who had been quietly sitting on the edge of the dock, tapping the bottom of her sneakers on the water's surface, glanced back with a smirk.

"I've been feeling it, too," Rowen agreed.

"It's like what Sage said yesterday," Cye put in. "It's similar to when we first used the Inferno. There was an urge to connect with our element. But that time, we felt like we had to go on some soul-searching journey, when it's really all right here, isn't it?" He motioned around him. "Earth, water, the air and the sunshine." He then looked at Ryo. "We're just missing one."

Ryo shrugged. He had always had less of an urge to connect with his elements on a grander scale. As a teen, carrying a lighter around usually sated the needs of his element.

"What if we had a bonfire tonight?" Mia suggested, bumping her shoulder with his. "It's getting warm enough outside for that."

Wildfire instantly brightened. "Yeah, sounds good."

Robyn turned around a bit, one leg propped up on the dock, so her back wasn't completely to the group. "Do you think maybe I was out here this morning because I was picking up something from you guys? You know, like you think you've been picking up on my emotions lately?"

There was a thoughtful pause from the rest of the group. "Like we've all been getting our wires crossed," Rowen mused out loud.

"Yeah, maybe. I keep getting this feeling like... it's hard to put into words, but it feels like whatever's going on is trying to fix itself, maybe balance itself out or..."

"Recalibrate?" Cye asked dryly, remembering the word Sage had used the day before.

The quiet blond quirked his mouth up a bit in response.

"Yes! Like that!" Robyn confirmed.

"It's a theory we've been working on, too," Sage confirmed. "Though there's nothing we can do about it now but wait and see if these crossed wires correct themselves on their own."

"We could try running some tests," Rowen suggested brightly and everyone groaned.

In the pause that followed, Robyn reminded herself about her earlier thoughts after her conversation with Natalia. She had certain things on her mind she wanted to voice all day. Sitting on the dock, she had been trying to work up the courage to speak her mind while everyone was present.

"Guys, can I say something real quick? It's been on my mind and I just... I've been wanting to tell you..." The waiting silence from the rest of the group was her cue to continue. She had a hard time looking at them and, instead, her gaze fell to her lap as the words came out. "I just wanted you guys to know how much you mean to me and how amazing all of you are. I feel like I don't tell you this enough." Self-conscious, she touched her hair, feeling the unnatural curled texture. Since it was damaged, she had been pulling it up into a bun to try to hide it. She touched it once and then forced her hands to go back into her lap. "I love you all very much. You're so important to me and I'm so glad we're back together and I just... I just wanted to make sure you know all that."

"Then why did you leave?" Rowen's question cut quick and sharp. Robyn's head shot up in his direction. Rowen's ice blue eyes drilled into her hard. "If we are so important to you, why did you leave us back then?"

Robyn's face paled a little. She touched her hair again and then forced herself to leave it alone once more. She could no longer stand the weight of Rowen's look and looked over at Cye by habit. He didn't stare at her as harshly, but an old hurt was plain on his face. On all their faces.

She glanced away from them, gazing at the water. "I don't have a good answer for that. I'm sorry. I was scared and I was stupid and very bad at making decisions. It was so horrible of me to just leave without saying anything. I was a coward and you didn't deserve that. I'm so sorry."

"Did we scare you?" Ryo asked, his voice soft and unsure. "Was it because of our powers? When you found out what we could do?"

Robyn's eyes went wide. "What? No! That's not it! I wasn't scared of your powers. When I found out how amazing all of you were, that you saved the world, that you saved me—that you were just such good people—I had trouble handling it. I didn't understand why you guys kept caring about me after what I brought into your lives. Some of you got hurt. Some of you could have died and it would have been my fault. I was ashamed and I felt dirty and I didn't want to keep visiting my problems on you when you all have done so much already.

"But then I was worse to you by just disappearing and running away without any explanation, wasn't I? All of you have a right to be so mad about that." She looked down at her hands. "I honestly don't know why you're not more angry about it now. I feel like all I know how to do is take and I have nothing to give. I can't believe any of you still wanted to be my friend after I did that."

"We want you here," Ryo said with conviction. "We need you. Because very few people know what we are and what we've gone through and it sucks. Not even our families know. To be able to just look at someone every once in a while who knows is a relief. If no one else but the five of us believed what happened, I think I would start to go crazy. I'd start to wonder if it happened at all."

"I tried to tell my family once," Kento suddenly spoke as he sat up. "It was a little while after we defeated Talpa. I thought they should be aware. So I sat myself down at the table one Saturday afternoon, waiting for anyone to come into the kitchen to talk to me. Then I started thinking about what they would do if they knew. Would they believe me? If they did believe me, would they now be in danger because they knew? If something else came to threaten the world, would they try to interfere on my behalf? Would me opening my mouth eventually kill my family or tear it apart?

"By the time my dad randomly wandered in, I knew I couldn't do it. He asked me what was up and I just broke down and cried like a baby. Both my parents tried to get me to tell them what was wrong, but I knew I couldn't. They were already aware of my mood swings and my nightmares. They tried to get me to go see a frigging therapist."

"Kento," Cye said. It was obvious they were all hearing this story for the first time.

"Hell, we probably all needed therapy after that," Hardrock continued. "But there was nothing we could do, no one we could talk to about this except each other and Mia and Yulie. Then you came in, Rob, and we finally had one more. We don't want to let go of that, even if you did something that... honestly, Rob, it really hurt us."

Robyn gave him a pained look in response, but he kept going.

"But the thing is, we can't blame you for running. In fact, it would have been smarter for you to go back home when you had the chance. Because the truth is bad things are always going to come for us, and if you're with us, they're going to come for you, too. You felt bad you brought something dangerous to us, but we're equipped to handle it. You're not. And you have already seen the horror being with us can be. We nearly lost you on several occasions because of it."

He placed a hand on his chest. "It hurts here when I think about it. And the guilt... I feel so guilty every time because I can't change it and I can't stop it. None of us can. We have been so, so lucky so far. But maybe one day you'll die because of us, or Mia, or any one of us. It's terrifying to think about and I don't understand why anyone would willingly come back to that life just for us."

Robyn launched herself at him. He had just enough notice to keep his balance as her arms wrapped around his neck. "You guys are my favorite part about life," she said in a choking voice. "You're worth it. You're always worth it."

Kento sucked in a sharp breath, then let it out, slow and shaky. Clearly, much of what he said had been weighing on him for quite sometime. He hesitated and then hugged her tight. Mia crawled over to hug Kento as well, ruffling his hair.

"Another group hug?" Cye asked with good nature as he tried to put his arms around all of them. Robyn buried her face between Kento's shoulder and Cye's chest.

"I've met my group hug quota for the year," Rowen said, not moving. "But a hug from just the ladies is always welcome."

Mia laughed and moved over to hug him as well, pulling Sage in with the other arm. "She's right, you guys are amazing," she whispered to them.

Robyn pulled back from Torrent and Hardrock, meaning to turn around to look at Ryo, unaware Wildfire was already scooting toward her. She whipped around and elbowed him right in the gut. Right in his hurt side. She gasped as Ryo grunted and fell over in pain, hugging himself.

"Ryo! I'm so sorry!"

He gave a pained, coughing-type laugh. "My fault for sneaking up."

Still, Robyn tried to help gather him up into a sitting position, apologizing all the way.

"It's okay, Rob," Kento smirked. "It's not the first time Ryo's been hit by a girl."

Ryo's immediate response was to try and kick his friend in the crotch. Clearly, he was going to be okay.

* * *

The bonfire that night was lovely and the group wrapped meat and vegetables in tin foil to cook on the coals for a delicious dinner. Ryo sat far closer to the flames than anyone else dared and it seemed to do him good. It gave a burst to his spirit and he wasn't walking as carefully from his wounds either. It was good he received that healing boost, for White Blaze lolloped happily from the forest reeking of some dead thing he had rolled in. Mia would not allow the big cat back into the house until Ryo bathed him. Some of the other guy were nice enough to help while the girls would have nothing to do with it.

* * *

Come Monday, things were looking even better when a package came from the states earlier than anyone expected. Inside lay all the treasures everyone had been waiting for: IDs, passports, bank cards, and cell phones. The ronins all grabbed their phones and checked their messages with frowns. There had been quite a bit of activity going on in the past few days and families were looking for their boys who suddenly disappeared.

Everyone retreated to a corner of their house for a moment to return calls and answer messages. Robyn immediately called her bank to get information on how to transfer her savings to another country. Sage approached her as she was finishing up, his cell phone in his hand.

"We're going out," Halo informed her. "I got an appointment for you."

Robyn frowned at the order, suspicious. "An appointment for what?"

He motioned to her hair. "I know someone and they're going to squeeze you in." When she was about to open her mouth he added: "It's on me." And motioned toward the door to quell any protests she may have had.

The drive to the city was wordless. Sage had his radio on low, but they didn't speak to each other much. But it wasn't necessarily an uncomfortable drive. Something had changed since their high school days. There was a new patience and comfort between them that came with maturity.

Upon reaching the salon, they were greeted by a Japanese man nearly 10 years their senior with fantastic cheek bones, eyeliner, and wearing a shade of glittering lip balm. He was currently working the nearest chair, his current client in the middle of a dye job.

"Sage, I'll be with you in one moment, hon."

The ronin just nodded at him. After a few minutes, he left his client for the dye to set as he pulled off a pair of plastic gloves and approached the duo.

"I'm sorry, my appointments are a little bit behind today."

"That's fine, Haruhi," Sage said. "I know you are squeezing us in as it is. It's very kind of you."

The older man winked at him. "Anything for you. As long as you promise me I'm the only one allowed to cut those amazing locks of yours."

"You know you are. I wouldn't trust anyone else. That's why we came to you when we needed help." Sage nodded toward Robyn.

Haruhi nodded at the redhead. "Alright sweetie, show me the damage." Robyn pulled her bun free and the stylist hissed in sympathy. "Oh, honey, no. That's why we don't trust those damn home kits."

"I know now," she joked weakly.

He patted her on the back. "I'll come up with a plan. We'll fix this. Unfortunately, I'm going to need a little more time until I'm free. Do you mind?"

Sage glanced at his phone to check the clock. "It's roughly lunch time. How about we quickly grab something to eat and then come back?"

"Sounds lovely," Haruhi said. "I'll see you and your girlfriend back here in about a half hour."

Sage gave him a look and it was obvious the stylist was just daring the blond to contradict his teasing. Robyn grinned a little as Sage just turned them around and they stepped out of the salon.

* * *

Again, lunch was also a near silent affair. Sage abhorred small talk and Robyn just wasn't too good at it. The two found their comfortable silence again, but Sage soon noticed Robyn kept watching him this time. Though the way she watched him wasn't the same as the many female stares he would often catch when out in public. Still, the green eyes on him unsettled him a little with how focused she was.

"You're staring at me," he accused.

"I know, I'm sorry," she admitted. "Looking at you, and when I hear your voice, I start getting some flashes of memory about what happened in Falnan. So I'm looking your way, but I'm really just staring off, trying to catch these little snippets."

"What do you remember?" he wondered.

"I remember you and I had a few conversations, though I can't quite recall what we were talking about." Her mouth ticked up at him. "You usually weren't happy."

"No. We were all worried about you. You had been hurt and this being that had taken over your body did not care about your physical welfare. She was very careless with you despite the fact that you were the one making it possible for her to interact with the world of the living in the first place."

"Well, _rude_ ," Robyn said with a laugh. The sound caused Sage's harshly-knitted brows to loosen. "It really sucks we all had such a horrible time out there, but we all made it back in one piece. It could have been much worse, so I'm grateful for that. And that's what I try to keep reminding myself when the bad memories pop up when I least expect them."

Sage made a sound of agreement as he nodded, looking a bit more at ease.

"And is it accurate to say that you and I are closer friends now?" Robyn then asked. "After all we've been through?"

Halo didn't even have to think about it as he smiled. "I think that is a very fair statement."

Robyn grinned back.

* * *

When they returned home, it was evident from all the cars parked around that everyone was still at the mansion. When Sage stepped out of the car, Robyn took a moment to glance at her new cut in the rear view mirror. The stylist had taken far more hair than she thought he would. Both he and Sage insisted the new style looked good on her, but she was still trying to get used to it.

She only allowed herself a quick glance because she did not want to be caught dawdling in someone else's car. When she stepped out, however, Sage was nearly at her door and he looked a little irritated that she had not waited for him to open it for her. That was new to her. Her friends had always been kind to her, but they mostly treated her like one of the guys. They didn't always extend such chivalrous courtesies and Robyn never expected it of them. She certainly wasn't going to start expecting it now when she was far more used to opening the door for herself.

After the initial awkward attempt to get around each other, the two started up together toward the mansion. Then Sage grabbed her wrist to stay her.

"Wait. I hear something."

For a brief moment, alarm was the first thing that rushed through Robyn at such a statement. What did he hear? Danger? Then she noticed his posture relax, his attention turned toward the side of the house.

"I think everyone is outside. Let's check it out." He smiled at her without worry. She immediately lightened from such a rare gift and allowed him to pull her around to the back yard. As they rounded the house, what Sage had heard became more clear to Robyn's ears. The crack of wood on wood rang through the clear spring air followed by familiar voices all in good humor.

When the owners of those voices finally came into view, there seemed to be a sparring match going on. Armed with boken and other practice wood weapons, Kento, Ryo and Rowen were facing off against each other while Mia and Cye seemed to be in some sort of practice session where Torrent was patiently showing her some basic stances. None of them noticed the return of their friends as they stepped into the backyard.

The sparring trio was the closest of the two groups and Sage immediately locked onto their activity with a keen eye as each attacked and blocked one another. Each seemed quite comfortable with the practice swords, even the archer. And none had a single qualm with trying to brain their friends with it.

"Ryo, are you sure you're ready for that?" Sage announced when they got closer. "No one wants to stitch you back up."

His voice halted the fight and Ryo placed an indignant hand on his side. "I'm fine, _Mom_. I know what I can handle."

Kento's gaze, however, landed on Robyn and he let out a low whistle.

"What?" she demanded.

"Your hair."

She instantly touched the foreign texture and length. "What? What about it?"

"It's nice. Looks good on you."

"Oh... thanks." The stylist had done the best he could, but most of the hair was so damaged it had to go. The back was especially bad and had been cut nearly to her skull. The breeze on her bare neck wasn't something she was used to. The front was longer, the curls relaxed to more of a wave. The whole thing still felt weird to her and probably would for a while.

She glanced over at Ryo who was watching her, his face unreadable. But his cheeks and ears seemed a little... pinker than normal.

Rowen stalked toward them, boken still in hand. His gaze flitted to Robyn's face more than once, but he pressed the tip of the blunt boken to where her hand was held in Halo's.

"And what's this?" Strata demanded.

Sage had pulled her by the wrist when he urged her from the front of the house. Instead of letting go, their hands had just sort of slid together as he pulled her along and neither had really noticed or thought anything of it. At Rowen pointing it out, however, Sage's first instinct was to immediately let go. But upon seeing Rowen's frown, he continued to hold Robyn's hand as casual as can be.

"None of your business," he said with calm smugness.

Rowen's brow twitched and he frowned deeper. That frown gave Sage a special warmness in his heart he would treasure forever. Strata's response to the obvious teasing was to swing his practice weapon in Sage's direction. The blond was forced to let go in order to knock it away with the blade of his hand. Rowen attacked again, forcing him back until Sage managed to catch the other end in his palm. The two then proceeded in a very childish tug of war.

"Give it, Sage," Rowen ordered.

"Stop trying to hit me with it," the blond retorted.

"Never."

"Then I'm not giving it back."

Each attempted to yank it from the other with grunts and growls like a couple of children.

"You guys are gonna break it," Kento called in warning, his voice telling he had broken his fare share of mock weaponry without meaning to.

"I said give it." Rowen growled with an extra tug. He put more of his Ronin strength into it and the smooth wood surprised him as it slipped from Sage's hand and then his own.

It careened toward Robyn's head at a dangerous speed. Her hand snapped up and caught it in mid air.

"Woah, nice catch!" Kento called while Robyn stared at the weapon with wide eyes.

"Lucky catch!" Cye called from a few yards away. "You two idiots could have hurt her with your goofing around!"

"Yes, we could have," Sage agreed, turning the anger and fault toward Rowen for starting it. Strata just huffed and refused to accept responsibility or blame.

Robyn was less offended by nearly being struck in the face. The boken had her interest as she had never held one before. She touched the abused wood of the mock blade and held the unfamiliar grip in both hands.

"You gonna try to fight with that?" Kento asked, amused.

"The stance is almost right," Ryo added. He swung his boken loosely at hers so that she would hold her weapon more firmly when they collided. Not only did she tighten her stance, she parried the attack with minimal effort. "Yeah, more like that," he encouraged.

"Here, allow me," Sage said, holding out a hand to take Ryo's mock weapon.

"I can show her," Wildfire insisted.

"Who has actual teaching experience and no stitches in their side?" Sage countered coolly.

Ryo stubbornly held his ground for a few more moments and then gave the boken over. Sage expertly twirled the piece of wood in his hand, half to gauge its weight and balance, and half to show off. Ryo rolled his eyes.

Robyn watched Halo do this and gave her own boken an awkward twirl, mirroring his. Sage raised a brow at this, surprised. Relying on his teacher's instinct, he did not give any instructions before engaging in a light attack. It was somewhat quick, but not hard enough to hurt, even if he managed to land a blow. Robyn blocked it, eyes a little wide as if she wasn't sure how she did it herself. The surprise was enough that Sage got in a second blow, his boken connecting barely with her arm.

She jumped back at the impact, but then relaxed when the collision wasn't more than a light tap. Robyn squared up against him again, holding her own practice weapon with more confidence this time.

"How about you give her some actual instruction first there, Sage?" Cye asked.

"I'm trying to gauge her skill level," came the reply. "Ready?" Sage asked this time.

Robyn nodded.

Sage advanced with a blatant, head-on attack. Robyn blocked the blow, then the next one and the next. Her eyes widened larger and larger, as if every one of her reactions was a complete surprise to her.

"Do you have a teacher we didn't know about?" Rowen asked as he watched the test of skill.

"No," Robyn managed to get out. Sage finally slipped past her defenses and he touched the boken to her side. "It's like I'm moving on instinct. I don't think about it, I just react. When I do try to think, Sage gets me."

"Do you want to try again?" Sage asked. He sounded like he wanted her to try again. This had piqued his interest.

Robyn thought about it, her brows furrowed. This confused her. She knew she shouldn't have been able to hold her own against Sage this well. When did she pick up these extra skills? Maybe something subconscious from watching the guys fight, plus kung fu movies? But it wasn't just that, the response was deep in her muscle memory.

"I'm not sure-"

Sage attacked. Robyn instantly moved to block and Sage attacked again, faster this time. She managed to parry each one, but she was slipping.

"Don't think about it," Sage said. "Just react." He continued, strike after strike. Not aiming to hit hard, but quickly. Robyn looked a little less resistant to her new found skills and managed to keep up.

"Good. Now fight back. Try to attack," Sage then said.

"I can't. You're going too fast!"

Purposefully, the blonde pulled back, pausing to adjust his stance and change his mode of attack. Robyn reacted first and swiped at him with her boken. Sage quickly parried, though the _thwack_ of the two wooden weapons echoed around them. Robyn hit hard. He tried not to take it personally. Most likely she didn't understand how to temper her attacks. To her, going on the offense meant hitting as hard as she could.

Another blow as the two boken hit again. Sage felt the vibration of the collision deep in his palms and it wasn't pleasant. _Crack. Crack. Crack._ The boken hit again and again and they could all hear the snap of each impact. Sage wanted to suggest they stop, but he spent all his concentration not getting hit by those heavy blows. Robyn was picking up speed, far faster than a beginner. She seemed to be doing better attacking than blocking. Sage looked in her eyes and saw nothing. She had completely zoned out. For a moment, he panicked. Was Robyn even in there anymore?

The fight must have concerned the others as well because Rowen suddenly cut in. He came at her with a chopping motion, the blade of his hand aiming to strike. Robyn was forced to block Sage one-handed in order to stop Rowen's attack with the other. That decision allowed Sage to knock the boken from her hand and it went pinwheeling into the yard. But Robyn's attention had already changed. She and Rowen were now at it, hand to hand. A flurry of fists and dodges erupted between them. Then Robyn caught Rowen's fist in her bare hand and the fight suddenly stopped.

Strata just stood there, wide eyed, his fist captured. Green eyes stared right back, just as startled. Rowen pushed against Robyn's hand. It didn't move. He pushed harder. It was like pushing against a solid wall. He let out an odd, startled laugh. "How are you this strong?"

"It's Hardrock," Cye suddenly announced, capturing everyone's attention. "It has to be. She still has access to the armor's power somehow."

Rowen still wasn't giving up. He pushed back harder against Robyn's hand, digging in. Robyn pushed back, unwilling to be the one to give in first.

"Woah, okay, let's cut that out before someone gets hurt," Kento said, stepping in and gently easing the two apart. Cye let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. The fight was over. Nobody got hurt. Namely, Robyn didn't get hurt while Rowen and Sage had their little experiment.

"What... just happened?" Mia asked.

"I don't know what that was," Robyn said. She shook out her wrists. "My hands kind of hurt now."

" _Your_ hands hurt," Sage mumbled. He could still feel the vibrations from those hits.

Ryo smoothly slid in right then and took Robyn's hands in his own, checking them for injuries. He rubbed his thumbs over her palms to soothe the muscles. Rowen was still looking at his own fists, frowning at them in confusion.

"Can she really be accessing Hardrock's power? Is that what happened?" Mia asked, mostly to Cye who was standing the closest to her.

He gave her a helpless shrugging motion, his gaze still on Robyn as if trying to convince himself he hadn't dreamed up what he just witnessed. "I guess we all forgot about her ties to the Hardrock armor."

"Or just assumed the whole priestess thing was over when the armors were sealed away," Mia continued the train of thought. "Though I guess if you guys can still access the power, she can, too? And this is the first time any of us have seen Robyn use the power herself."

"That doesn't explain the sudden improvement in fighting skills though," Kento cut in. He, too was frowning a bit in consternation. "Accessing Hardrock doesn't magically make you a better fighter. That's gotta be coming from somewhere else."

Cye glanced back with worry in Robyn's direction. The other entity that had inhabited her body had been very skilled. Combined with Hardrock's strength, she had been deadly and terrifying to fight. He still remembered the ice in her eyes back then and it gave him a chill even now. Though, while Robyn and Sage were sparring, Robyn's awkward attempts to keep up weren't anywhere near what they had to face in Falnan and that same chill certainly wasn't here now either.

"It was like muscle memory," Robyn answered for them. She retrieved her hands from Ryo's and rubbed them herself. "I don't know how else to explain it. As if I learned how to do it all from a dream. My body remembered what to do but my brain was struggling to catch up. I could tell how sloppy it was. I knew how to do it better if I could just get everything in sync. Like someone downloaded all this information into me, but I don't have the experience to use it properly."

"So, that spirit left behind some of her skill in your body," Sage surmised.

"Is that even possible?" Cye countered.

Halo looked at him. "Didn't you see what I just saw?"

Cye frowned a little more.

"So I possibly have the Hardrock strength, too, right?" Robyn asked, intrigued by the thought. "Kento, let me see if I can pick you up."

"Mmm..." he mused over the offer.

"Bridal style."

"Yeah, I'll pass."

"Robyn, quick! Catch me!" Rowen announced. Without warning, he jumped up into her arms and she caught him. For a moment, it seemed like he would make them both tumble to the ground, but Robyn held him firm, bridal style, while he put his arms around her neck.

"I ha~ad the time of my li~fe!" Rowen sang. "And I never felt like this before."

Robyn laughed and effortlessly spun around with him still in her arms. Cye and Sage were sharing worried glances. They weren't sure they liked this new development. Kento wasn't sure either as he watched with a frown, his arms folded over his thick chest.

"I wonder if I could lift you over my head," Robyn said to Rowen.

"Yes! Try it!" Strata agreed.

"Nooo, no, no," Cye said, intervening and making her put Rowen down. "Let's not get too carried away right off the bat. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Robyn instantly turned on Cye and grabbed him by the waist. Torrent gave a surprised squawk as he was lifted off his feet. "Weee!" she squealed as she spun in a circle again.

"Robyn! Put me down!" Cye's face was flushed when she finally set him back on his feet, laughing.

Mia was chuckling a bit behind him. It was funny to see any of the guys so flustered and picked up like they weighed nothing.

"Come on, that was fun," Robyn grinned. "I don't really feel any stronger, it's just like everything weighs less to me somehow."

"Cye, you are bright red," Mia whispered with her own glee.

Cye rubbed his face in frustration and stiffened when Robyn hugged him again. She didn't try to pick him up this time.

"Oh? Oh! I feel it! Do you guys feel it?" Rowen suddenly announced. He practically folded himself over her as he hugged her from behind. "Warm fuzzies are back!"

"Now who's looking for excuses to touch who?" the redhead teased back.

"He's not lying, I can feel it from here," Ryo said, extending his hands like he was warming them in front of a fire.

Robyn just laughed again, like she hadn't laughed for ages and it was all coming out now.

Even Sage looked amused and calmed by the presence of everyone and the lightness and good humor of his friends.

Kento was the only one quietly sober, arms still folded. He didn't look comfortable about this at all.

* * *

After they were done goofing around inside, then it was back in for more school work. Tuesday was the cut off day for most for their papers. Wednesday would be the main test day. Then it would all be over and the group at large could finally take some time to think about where they were all going to go from here on.

After dinner, Kento caught Robyn and asked her to walk with him outside. She agreed brightly, still smiling as she had been almost all the last part of the day. It made Kento happy and relieved to see that. He forgot how resilient she was. Back in high school, he saw her bright face nearly every day, saw her goofiness and humor, and had no idea what she had gone through before traveling to Japan. None of them did. She snagged happiness where she could and she hung onto it.

What she had been through in Falnan and future Tokyo was even worse: fear, blood, death. There was a part of him that wondered if she would ever get over it. Yet, she allowed herself to hurt and to deal and then she bounced back. The same could be said for all of them. All the many times they had fought and bled and thought they would die would always be with them, but they would get over it, too and they could all smile and laugh together again.

The two of them stood out on the beach, watching the lake. Robyn seemed content to gaze at the water for a while. Kento gave her a sideways glance in the orange light of the afternoon. The new shorter cut with the curls around her face accentuated her features. She had pale skin, red hair and green eyes, but her physical facial features were very Asian and looked even more so now. This new style was very cute on her and Kento felt his cheeks warm at the thought. He blamed it on the warm fuzzies that Robyn was still radiating.

"I am guessing you're feeling uncomfortable with me accessing Hardrock," Robyn suddenly said.

"In a way... yeah, I guess that's one way of putting it."

"I'm sorry, I'm sure the armors are very personal to you. I don't know how to stop it, or I would." The slight breeze brushed her short hair into her face and she tried to keep it away in annoyance. It would be a long time until it was long enough to pull up again.

"No, that's really not it," Kento said, turning to her. "I can't tell whether you have access to Hardrock's power or not. That doesn't bother me. I worry about your strength."

"Because I might break a door on accident?"

"No."

"Because with great power comes great responsibility?"

"No. Well, yes, actually." He ran a hand through his hair, wishing she wasn't so flippant about this. "Because the armors bring danger."

"And we talked about this, we bring each other danger, whether I suddenly have more physical strength or not. Only now, I can fight back."

"Only to protect yourself. You being able to pick up a few dudes doesn't mean you should jump in when the next big bad shows up, okay?"

Robyn burst out laughing. "Right! Can you imagine _me_ going to pick a fight with someone? Yes, just put me right on the front lines now. Kento, if you only knew how often I think about what you guys do and how much I get overwhelmed because I could never do what you do." She sobered a little, giving a weak self-depreciating smile. "I'm a coward. If there's ever a choice to run, that's the choice I take."

"Good." He placed his hands on her shoulders, his response surprising her. "If you want to learn how to defend yourself more, that's okay. I think Sage wants to teach you. I think we'd all like you to be able to protect yourself the best you can. But only if you don't have any other choice. If something bad comes for you, if you can, you run."

She reached up and lightly patted his wrists. "We don't keep things from each other anymore, not after all we've been through. If I ever feel like something dangerous is coming, I'm going straight to you guys."

At that moment, Kento then realized maybe he was being a bit intense and he pulled back. No, Robyn wasn't going to keep things from them anymore and she wasn't going to leave them again. Likewise, they didn't have any other secrets to keep from her either. They were all going to do it better this time around.

"Okay," he said as he let her go. "Just as long as you know that sharing Hardrock, the most awesome armor of all, isn't a license to start going off and fighting crime on your own."

Robyn chuckled to herself. "Hey, have you broken any doors by accident?"

"A few," he muttered. "Though it's usually because of my dumb 'ol temper. You should be fine."

She laughed again.

* * *

Wednesday morning, all the guys were already off early to take the last of their final. Mia also had left for work around the same time. Robyn purposefully slept in and woke up to an empty mansion. She stretched as she walked into the main room, warm sunlight coming in through the large front windows. It was nice to listen to the quiet of the house, to feel the bliss of being alone.

While Robyn had enjoyed the constant close proximity of her friends, she was used to having time to herself, which had come in short supply recently. Everyone had been in everyone else's business since they returned to their own time. She ventured to guess all of them were enjoying getting out of the house and having some space to themselves.

Just as she was thinking about getting herself some breakfast, she thought she heard a knock at the front door. Robyn froze as if there were some danger coming from that knock. Was anyone expecting a visitor? No one had mentioned it. A second knock sounded, louder than the first, but not in a threatening manner. Didn't this mansion have a doorbell?

The most logical explanation as to why someone would be clear out here in the woods on Mia's doorstep was that they were a postal carrier of some kind. She couldn't think of any other reason. And whomever was the owner of this package would probably appreciate Robyn stepping out to receive it.

She snatched up Kento's sweater to cover herself over her scant pjs and padded barefoot to the door. Her biggest surprise upon opening it was that there was not just one person, but four standing on the porch.

The four seemed just as surprised at seeing her as she was of them. None of them knew what to say and Robyn could feel the weight of them. She had a feeling these weren't just random visitors. There was something off in their vibe, something almost unworldly.

* * *

Like the others, Cye was up bright and early to take his finals. It was now past lunch time when he stepped outside the school building and stretched in the sun. It would be a while until he knew his final scores, but at least all the tests were over. As he walked back to his car, he fished his phone out of his pocket to check if there were any missed messages while he was busy.

There was a text from Robyn. It simply read: _Hey, do you know these guys?_

Below, there was a picture attached that she had taken with her cell. The blank, confused faces of Talpa's three former warlords and the wide eyes of Kayura herself stared back at him. Cye fumbled with the phone as he hurried to type a response.

 _Sit tight. I'm coming back right now!_


End file.
